The Human in Me
by inmemoryoftheMasterRapper
Summary: Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was a person unlike any other for him. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED that reels him in.
1. Chapter 1

**The Human in Me**

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was a person unlike any other for him. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED eyes that reel him in_.

.

They're everywhere wherever you look.

On the streets, in the shops, in restaurants, in both big and small companies, in government offices—those perfectly flawless, efficient, intelligent, and nearly immortal, human-looking androids fill the empty spaces with humans guiding them all the way through their daily lives.

The androids come in all heights and sizes—from tiny ones that can fit in your pocket or sit on your head or shoulder, to the size of an average eight-year-old child, to the size of a fully grown adult, both male, female, or in custom-made races, technology has made them all come to life.

Rarely can anyone see two humans walking together nowadays. It's always an android and a human.

Most people cannot tell human from android apart either, given that androids wear human clothes—until you look closely into their eyes for some time.

Androids have bright eyes made from small LEDs. Being their default amber color, their eyes change hue depending on what the android is doing. If it's trying to process and research data, it'll change to blue, and will return to amber when it's done.

And when an android feels threatened and abused—

"Hey, Goku. You still there?"

Goku blinks, and grins at his friend, Gojyo, 'the tan and tall sex on legs', as he had dubbed himself.

"Yeah. Still here. Sorry," Goku breathes out as his golden eyes flicker to another adult-sized android he has just passed by.

Gojyo regards his friend with a hum and narrowed eyes, and resigns to himself with a sigh. Slapping his hand on the smaller man's shoulder, he guffaws. "You really should find someone to bang with, man! It'll make life way easier! Haha!"

Goku coughs at the harsh slap, and glares at his too-tall friend, "You keep saying that because it's easy for you, you cockroach prick!"

"Huh!? Say that again, limp noodle! You're just sour because you couldn't get anyone to lie with you because you're too nice! I tell ya—" Gojyo pulls Goku to his shoulder and waves his arm in front of Goku. "—You should be popping your cherry with the hottest chick in town! ...or dude. Whatever floats your boat."

The impish grin doesn't disappear from Gojyo's face even as Goku slaps his hand away from his shoulder. "Fuck off, cockroach! I don't need your shitty talk! I'll find love in my own time! You'll see!"

Gojyo snorts, and holds his hands up at Goku's glare. "A'ight, a'ight. I won't 'get in your way,'" he grins as he wags his index and middle fingers in an attempt to do airquotes. "But don't come crying to me when you're about to bust your balls from the lack of action. Hahaha!"

Goku gives him the finger as he storms off while kicking the pavement, grumbling curses in his wake.

"...Stupid Gojyo with his stupid hair and his stupid height with his stupid fac—oof! Watch it—! ...oh. Um. Sorry."

The person he has bumped into smiles down at him as he holds out his hand, "Hello, young man. You okay there? Take care when walking next time, alright?"

Goku takes the proffered hand and bows, "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again." The man standing by the shop nods and smiles in return. Dusting away his clothes, Goku looks at the shop's windows and blinks at the store.

The tumbled signpost reads, 'PPC - _Your Personal Partner Computer_ ', and under it, the tagline reads, ' _Find your eternal cybermate today!_ '

"You sell tech stuff?" Goku asks, feeling excited all of a sudden.

The man hums as he repositions the tumbled signpost Goku has unknowingly bumped into, and regards him with a curious look, "Huh? Oh yes, we sell all the gadgets the youth are fond of these days. Before, it was smartphones, drones and all that, and now it's smart humanoids! Great thing technology has done for us, eh? Go—have a look around if you want."

Goku feels his palms sweat. He has always wanted an android of his own—even the smallest one that fits on his palms would be more than enough for him—but finds himself always short on money. His job as an assistant to his professor at college isn't enough to pay for his rent and food as it is, but—

He steps inside, anyway, letting curiosity get the best of him.

He browses the store, and his mouth slackens at the different androids looking at every direction a human goes to. One tiny, palm-sized android in particular looks and blinks at him with large and startling golden eyes, and smiles as it waves at the human pointing at it.

Goku giggles at the friendly greeting, and asks the storeowner—Ukoku, his nameplate says—

"This little one, how much is it?"

"Ah, that one costs ¥396,000. It's the cheapest one we have. The NT013 Series runs with iCore23 and can capture pictures four times the 4K resolution and transfer it to whatever monitor you have at home. Has a 5PB memory storage, a 10-day battery life, and a four to five-hour recharge time. Kind of like human naps, if you will. If you notice, his eyes are gold by default—it's custom-made."

Goku hums and regards the tiny android swaying and twirling on its stand behind the glass shelf. He looks at it closely, sees the android's happy face, and Goku feels giddy. His hands itch to buy it, but his wallet won't let him.

"You can buy him on an installment, if you want. You could pay ¥132,000 as downpayment. We also accept loans and cards," Ukoku says with a shrug as he readies his calculator hanging from his neck.

Goku, however, gulps at the prospect of handing in his hard-earned cash on a single piece of technology. He can still use his beaten, obsolete laptop—that thing has been serving him six years now—but seeing how many of his students and professors have been telling him stories of how an android has changed their lives has had him secretly crying in envy.

I want one, too, he thinks. If he has one, he can finally use it for the latest games, the latest trends in tech, for his lectures, for the latest recipes, for—

Goku glances at another android reflected on the glass shelf behind him—

—for companionship.

He turns around, and walks over to another android standing stock still in the middle of the store. If it weren't for its straight, blonde hair, chiseled jaw, lean and wiry frame, overall pale complexion, Goku would mistake it for a model, but—

This one has bright purple LED eyes, and a curious red dot in the middle of its forehead.

"This is another custom one?" he asks the storeowner, and Ukoku nods.

"That one will cost you your organs, kid. That one's ¥749,000."

"Because it's adult-sized?"

Ukoku shrugs and holds back a smirk as he rearranges the glasses slipping from his nose, "Well, yes and no. The regular, adult-sized android ranges at around ¥691,000. This one costs extra because not only does he have the latest iCore25 specs and built with a 364PB memory, he also has a 25-day battery life, along with an 8-10 hours of charging time. Kind of like a regular sleep time for humans. Also, he has a special feature. Um, if you would move for a bit..."

Goku blinks and moves aside as Ukoku stands in front of the seemingly tall android dressed in the tightest black shirt and thigh-high shorts, and taps on the glass case thrice.

"Hey, you got another prospect."

The android, which has been standing still for some time, finally blinks, and regards Ukoku and Goku with narrowed eyes.

[Hmph. This one doesn't look like he can afford me.]

The android looks away and crosses its lean, pale arms.

Goku balks, and scoffs at the offending tone the android has said. Despite wanting to hear more of the gravelly and silky tone the android has, however, Goku decides to complain. "Did you hear that?! I-I know I can't afford any of these, but that's just rude!"

Ukoku holds his palms out to the yelling young man, "Now, now. I know it can be hard to deal with at times—"

"Hard to deal with? _Hard to deal with?_ It basically said I'm poor!"

"Eh... Heh... Well, it comes with its special feature—which is human banter. Also, he's a deviant."

"What?"

Ukoku clears his throat, and glances to where the android looks with its arms crossed, its face a mixture of ire and boredom. "The Sanzo Series, Genjo Model GS929 is not only equipped with the latest, natural-sounding human speech to date, but he can be anything you want him to be—a companion, a teacher, a bodyguard, a parent..."

Ukoku grins, his teeth gleaming under the fluorescent lights as he leans in to Goku's ear, "— _he can even be your lover_."

Goku yelps and jumps away from the smiling man, clutching at his ear as he stutters, "H-how can you—I—how can that even happen?!"

Ukoku shrugs with a smile, and scratches at his unkempt, black hair, "Seeing as everyone nowadays prefers androids over humans, I thought you would like one like that, too. Besides, uh, he has been here for almost a month. He could use a buyer."

"That's insane! Why would I—" Goku glances at the tall and imposing android, which still has yet to apologize. "Are you even going to apologize?"

[Why would I?] it says, regarding Goku with a sidelong glance from its whirring, purple LED eyes. [I just stated a fact.]

Goku bristles and huffs, "That android is rude! No wonder no one's buying you!" Sticking his tongue out at the tall and pale android, he then points a finger at Ukoku, "I won't buy that thing until you reformat it to being polite!"

And Goku stomps his way out, huffing and leaving Ukoku to sigh and tap his feet at the defiant android.

"How can I even sell you if you keep making those snarky comments?"

The android's stance relaxes, and seemingly sighs as it looks at one of its creators with bright, purple eyes. [You programmed me this way, remember? Think of it as a baptism of fire. If a prospect cannot even handle my words, then they are not fit to be my owner.]

Ukoku tuts, and taps his chin, "Hm, putting it that way... You might have a point there."

[Of course I do.]

"Hey, Koumyou! Another one left!"

The sound of shuffling cloth resounds in the shop, and the sound of faint, whirring metals stop as a blond man removes his face mask.

"What? Oh... That's the 27th time this week," the blond man named Koumyou frowns and steps out of the small alcove reserved for creating and repairing androids. "What will I do with you, GS929? You can't be with us forever. You need to take care of someone!"

[I can take care of you, though.]

"Sadly, that isn't happening, not while I'm around," Ukoku says with a huff and a smile. "We created you for a reason—to serve and protect any potential human who will buy you. How can you do either of those if you keep bashing them the moment you set your eyes on them?"

[Hn. It's their fault they can't handle me.]

Koumyou slaps a hand to his face and wails, "Why did I agree with you when you said we'd make him a deviant? He's too much for any human to handle!"

Ukoku shrugs with a mocking smile, though, and revels in his colleague's misery, "Can't say having him is not fun. He brings all the best dry jokes! Besides, isn't making androids deviants more fun than having to have no say about their owner's orders? Freedom! It's—all—about—freedom!"

"I know they need to make choices on their own, but... Ugh... I need a break—alright. We're closing for now." Koumyou stretches his shoulders and goes over to the glass doors. With a wave of his recognized handprint over the glass, the sign that reads, 'Open' changes to 'Sorry, We're Closed'.

Ukoku packs the littered boxes behind the counter away, and gives Koumyou a weary smile.

"Look, maybe we'll have better luck for him tomorrow."

.

Goku wolfs down the last remains of his instant noodles, and lets out a happy sigh as he flops on his futon. Today has been another uneventful day. Another day of feeling nothing but loneliness and a quiet envy for those with android companions.

It isn't as though he's desperate for communication—he already has plenty of those from college—it's just that seeing those smiles from androids makes Goku think—

"I wonder if I can make one happy, too. Like that tiny one from earlier." He gazes at the ceiling, lets his eyes bore into the fluorescent lamp hanging from the middle of the room, and his stomach grumbles.

"...I guess two bowls of those aren't enough."

He rolls out of his futon and grumbles as he fumbles for his wallet, and frowns at the remaining bills.

"Food... or rent?"

His stomach grumbles angrily once more, and Goku sighs as he trudges out of his flat, and goes to the convenience store down the street.

Once there, he pays for two more bowls of instant noodles to the smiling android sitting behind the counter. An adult-sized female one, equipped with the latest specs, Goku muses, as he glances at the android's nameplate.

' _Yaone Model - YK128_ ', it reads.

[Thank you for your purchase. Have a nice day!] the android responds, and Goku can't help but smile back and bids her a nice day as well. If only all androids were polite—

Goku's mind drifts back to his encounter with the rude android from earlier, and pouts. "It didn't have to point it out that I can't buy it. Stupid android. Just because it's good-looking doesn't mean it—ah!"

Goku watches as his remaining meal for the night rolls away from the bottom of the now ripped paper bag. He chases after it, and when it stops, he picks it up and smiles.

"There you are!"

[Watch out!]

"Huh?"

A white flash of light blinds Goku's eyes, along with a large blur that carried him off to safety.

[Stupid idiot! You could've been killed by that truck!]

"Eh?" Goku squeaks out as he stares up at a familiar face—golden hair, pale complexion, a tiny red dot in the middle of the forehead, that deliciously chiseled jaw, that ever sultry voice—

—those bright and whirling scarlet eyes.

"Wait. Red? Wha—"

A faint hiss and the smell of smoke from behind the android shocks Goku back to reality, and yells as he scoots the android to a sitting position, and cries apologies to the android's now damaged right leg, its flesh rubber now torn along with its crushed wires and components that serve as the android's bones—and the sight of the android's white blood make even some of the nearby androids to back away from the human sitting in the middle of the street.

Onlookers with children look away in haste and hurry along, and some of them curse at the driver speeding down the pedestrian lane. Some passersby even offer Goku the much needed help, but he isn't having any of it, not until the android in his arms is alright.

"I'll help you—come on, can you stand?" Goku huffs as he throws one arm over his shoulder. The android decides to say nothing, but the telltale scarlet eyes makes Goku nervous. He drags the android with him—his meal of instant noodles now lay forgotten on the street—and trudges the long way to where he is sure to get fined for damaging store property.

.

Goku knocks and rattles the rolling gates of PPC, its neon logo bright and inviting even if the store's closed. Heaving on his shoulder, the android starts to feel heavier every passing minute, and hearing a faint, but annoying hum from its head settles a pit in Goku's stomach.

No answer.

He rattles the gates once more, uncaring for the neighbor's definite complaints—

The gates roll up, until the man from before—Ukoku—answers the door with an annoyed glare.

"What? We're clos—oh. Oh!"

Goku wants to cry and barf and die all at the same time.

"I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it, I swear! I was on my way home when my noodles rolled and chased after it and I didn't know there was a truck and he saved me and—"

Koumyou runs over to where Ukoku stands, and quickly rolls the gates to let Goku and the android in.

"Get in for now. He's bound for shutdown in 20 minutes unless his wires are fixed." Koumyou scrambles for his tools and chair while Ukoku prepares tea for the shellshocked brunet.

Ukoku comes over to Goku and tries to peel the android off of him when Goku yells.

"Don't touch him, please!"

Ukoku freezes at the plea, and watches as Goku cradles the android's head under his chin.

"Please don't hurt him. He only tried to save me..."

Ukoku and Koumyou glance at each other, and both let out a relieved sigh. Koumyou lays a gentle hand on Goku's head and smiles, "I wouldn't dream of hurting any of my creations. I only want what's best for them. What you're doing now may hurt him, though. The longer you cling to him, the faster he'll die."

Goku snaps up to the blond man, now devoid of any emotion. The brunet cringes as he looks at the android that's becoming paler by the second.

Without a word, he hands the android over to Koumyou, and the latter takes the dying android with a relieved sigh and a smile. "This will take a few minutes," he reassures the troubled brunet, and Goku can only nod.

Those minutes seem like hours as Goku listens on from the back of the android shelves, the noise of whirring tools against metal and sparks flying from behind the alcove doesn't seem to alleviate his nerves—even Ukoku's idle talk and now lukewarm tea doesn't seem to help, as his thoughts are trained on the android now about to die because of his stupid choices.

"—that android never listens, I tell ya. I only told him I'll buy bread, but he insists on doing it himself. Says it's the only way he can calibrate himself—by moving around, I mean. And what did he get? A broken leg and partial blood loss."

Goku winces at Ukoku's words. Never mind that that android had been rude to him, never mind that he's one of the coveted deviant models—that android had saved him, and—

"I don't think I can ever repay you, even with my life," Goku mumbles as he stares at the floor, blinking away the new onslaught of tears dripping from his swollen eyes.

Ukoku stills, looks to where Koumyou busies himself as the man supplies white blood to the lying android through a bag from an IV drip— _like a human_ —and hums to where Goku sits almost lifelessly on the stool.

"Say," Ukoku starts, his eyes regarding Goku's appearance with a critical eye. "You look young. You a student?"

Goku gulps, and looks at Ukoku with nervousness. He supposes he'll be turn in to the delinquent hall, maybe even be slapped with a hefty amount for the damage. Maybe he'll have to sell his internal organs to repay these men—

"Yes," he answers, timid—a stark contrast to his bravado earlier when the android had commented on his finances.

Goku hears Ukoku hum, and he was about to kowtow and beg for forgiveness when—

"Do you want to have him? You can have him for free."

Goku blinks, and the world around him seems to close in on him—

"What?"

.

 **A/N** : This fic is mainly inspired by 60% Detroit: Become Human (great game, I tell ya!), and 40% Chobits (great anime, I tell ya!). Also, the prices are now adjusted to Japanese Yen.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Human in Me**

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was a person unlike any other for him. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED eyes that reel him in_.

.

Goku wipes the sweat from his palms and looks down on his folded knees. Sitting in front of him cross-legged is the android who had saved his life hours prior, its right leg now functioning properly, its flesh now protecting the wires and the metal bars, and its white blood supply now replenished.

The android looks down at him with an austere air and a raised brow, the black turtleneck singlet and fitted jeans that he now wears making him look unapproachable compared to the young man's khaki shorts and yellow hoodie—from Goku's perspective, that is.

[Well? Care to tell how you managed to get me for free while I was damaged and in a potentially permanent shutdown state?] The android taps its index on its elbow as it crosses its arms—a programmed habit, from the looks of it—and Goku can't help but whine under the stern, purple glare.

Goku knows it had been like a pact with the devil, having to accept the deviant android for free in exchange of working for PPC for the next three years or until the cost for repairs was paid. Ukoku has a way with words, almost like a man hypnotizing any potential customers—and Goku has been one of them.

Then again—

He looks at the android's stance, its back set straight as it looks at him with a passive face.

—then again, this is what Goku has wished for, right? To have his very own android. It may not be a tiny, palm-sized one, but hell, he'd gotten a computer with a 64PB memory for the price of working for three years! And that computer— _android_ —comes in a handsome package, not to mention it comes with a sultry voicebank that sends shivers down his spine. Goku doesn't know whether to cry from joy or sadness. He'd have to work for two jobs now, he'd have to juggle time for himself and for this android.

He just hopes he'll be able to make his android happy, too, just as how he always wished for.

"I already told you," Goku starts, trying to level his voice as how a teacher would do to a slow child, "Mr. Ukoku offered you to me as long as I would start working there tomorrow. Mr. Koumyou also agreed—although, I think there's an inside joke I'm not getting when they packed you in the box…"

The android's eyebrows raise, but decides not to comment on it. Moments pass, and the android scans the young man's microexpressions. Detecting no signs of lying, it clears its throat, and sits stiffly with its palms faced down on its knees.

[In that case, let's start over again, then. My name is Sanzo, and I'm the deviant android sent by PPC. Please state your name.]

Goku stammers, and already feels this is all too much for him to handle. He looks at anywhere but at the whirling, blue LED eyes that Sanzo has, and, not wanting the android to repeat itself, Goku takes in a deep breath and smiles.

"I'm Son Goku. 'Son' is written as 'child of' and 'Goku' is written as 'enlightened sky'."

[Registering name—please hold—… Registration complete. Sanzo Series, Genjo Model GS929 now registered as the personal android of Mr. Son Goku. May I know your address and contact number?]

Goku blinks, stares a bit too long at the seemingly faraway look the android has, and tells him his address and number. After hearing how polite Sanzo can be when he needs to be, Goku can't stay calling him an 'it' for long.

[Registering address and contact number—please hold—… Registration complete. Please don't move.]

"Eh?" Goku starts, but stills when the whirring blue LEDs stay focused on his face for a few seconds—

[Facial and body recognition complete. Please hold out your hands.]

"My hands? Uh, sure." He does as he's told, and feels his palms sweat once more as Sanzo lays out his hands to Goku's, their fingers splaying as Sanzo's flesh rubber warms up to the brunet's fingertips. Goku feels his cheeks grow hot, "What was that fo—"

Sanzo pulls his hands away and lays them back on his knees and continues, [Fingerprint scan complete. Please stay still.]

"Um, okay—oh…!" Goku tries not to blink as Sanzo lightly bumps his head to Goku's brow, and stares at him intently, those spinning LEDs throwing Goku in a quiet trance—

Is this what they mean when they say being intimate with an android even when doing the most mundane things feels insatiably hot and feverish?

[Retinal scan complete. You may now choose a password to prevent anyone from potentially hacking into my database. Passwords should not be the owner's birthday or address or the last four numbers of his phone. Upper and lowercase alphabet, along with numeric and various keyboard symbols, are highly recommended.]

"Geh? Can't I choose at a later date?"

[No. You must choose now unless you want my database to be compromised.]

Goku groans and scratches his head, "A password… a password… ah! How about food? Is food allowed?"

Sanzo pauses, and Goku swears he hears him sigh. If he doesn't know any better, Sanzo might have even rolled his eyes, […Sure.]

"Yay! Okay, how about 'G0ldenOpulence!'? Uppercase 'G', followed by zero, lowercase 'lden', no space, uppercase 'O', lowercase 'pulence', and an exclamation point."

[…Registering password—please hold—… Password verified. You may now use me, your personal android, at your disposal. Default tasks include: doing household chores, counseling when owner is troubled, browsing the internet for any requested information in realtime, guarding owner's safety and property. I also come with a free space of 64 petabytes, along with a span of 25 days without charging. My required charging time is 8-10 hours for maximum efficiency. Signs which indicate that I have low battery is seen through the LEDs. If the five LEDs are diminishing one by one within 30 minutes, it indicates that charging time is imminent. If charging cables are not available, you can charge me under the sun for two hours—which results in two days of android life without being plugged in to charge. If it's nighttime and no charging cables are available, then I recommend you command me to sleep. I highly recommend using the charging station provided with my box to fully utilize my potential, though. The charging station is also solar-powered for up to five hours of being charged under the sun.]

Sanzo closes his eyes, and when he opens them, his eyes are back to its normal, bright purple hue, and regards Goku with a solemn stare. The android realizes the human has been glancing at the dot on his forehead.

[The red dot on my forehead is my switch. Only your scanned fingerprints can activate my switch—]

Sanzo grins for the first time, and tilts his head back as he looks at Goku with a sultry stare.

[Only you can turn me off and turn me on.]

Goku's mouth hangs open as he tries to take in all of the info thrown at his face all at once, and his brain tries to kill every indecent thought that has suddenly sprouted from his mind. "Switch. On-off. Turn on. Right."

Sanzo blinks, a mock innocent look now plastered on his face, [What's wrong? You're stuttering.]

"Nothing's wrong," the human gasps out. "So. Solar-powered android. Okay, cool. That's all I need. Um. What if your batteries need to be replaced? What percent does your battery have now?"

Sanzo shrugs, [Just bring me to the nearest PPC store and they'll provide you with your required supply of batteries. One battery costs $23. Current battery percentage: 93%.]

Goku tries to do the mental math, fails, and grins, "That's fine, I guess. Well, whatevs. I'll figure it out as I go." Sanzo tilts his head, confused, and Goku beams, "You saved me—so I'll do my best to make you happy!"

Sanzo blinks, and tries to process what his owner has said, [It is my duty to protect you, though.]

"Nonsense. You protected me even though I wasn't your owner yet! Why is that?"

This time, it's Sanzo's time to take a pause, his eyes switching from purple to blue, and he blinks as Goku waits for a response. And when he does, Sanzo shakes his head as he processes his thoughts for a few seconds, [I don't know—my body acted on its own before I even bought the bread. I thought you might get injured from that truck, so I…]

Sanzo's voice falters, and Goku suddenly feels ashamed. "I should be grateful, you know, but—here I am, questioning you instead of thanking you. I'm sorry."

Sanzo shakes his head, and gives him the tiniest hint of a smile.

Goku feels his heart stop as those blue eyes return to whirring, purple lights, and he can't help but smile wide—Mr. Ukoku and Mr. Koumyou made Sanzo to look like the most stunning man on the planet, and a deviant, no less—one of the most coveted android classes, thanks to their ability to have human emotion and judgment, tied with unlimited intelligence and a long lifespan of 100 years (as long as the android is maintained and well-cared for), Goku feels like the Goddess of Mercy herself has smiled upon him.

[Don't be sorry. I'm not sure why I did what I did, but, I'm glad I did. I finally get to have an owner—…even if he's dirt poor as fuck.]

Goku's smile falls immediately, and bristles in ire for the second time that day, "You take that back, you shitty android!"

[Fucking hell no.]

"Why, you…!"

Goku tackles Sanzo to the floor, and tries to fight off the squirming, yet poker-faced android beneath him. He fails, however, and it isn't until their hands meet once more that Goku finally stops.

"Say, why the need to scan my fingers? You're not a phone."

Sanzo falls quiet, his eyes shifting to blue for a moment, before turning to purple, [It is so that I'll know who's allowed and not allowed to touch me when my back is turned. It'll alert me, and I can call on you on your mobile if it happens.]

"Just from my fingerprints? What if they touched you on the shoulder and not the hands? What if they touched you on the wrist or the arm, or—"

Goku freezes as Sanzo steadies his face under the grasp of his firm but warm hands.

Sanzo's thumbs are surprisingly gentle and warm under the heat of his flushed cheeks.

[Your fingerprints are scanned and its data is delivered throughout the multitude of sensors in my body. Your fingerprints are basically your invisible and permanent mark on me.]

Goku gulps at those words, and feels his breath grow hot. What is it with this android riling him undone with just a few words—?

Speechless, Goku's breath comes out ragged, and places his head on Sanzo's chest, and is surprised to find it rise and fall, and if he presses his ear closer, he can hear the telltale sound of a heartbeat.

Goku's eyelids droop, and feels his body relax at the sound.

[What are you doing?] the android asks, and Goku shushes him. Sanzo obeys.

"Don't ruin the mood. I forgot all about my hunger from earlier, you know," Goku mutters, and Sanzo tries again, in a much quieter voice, which sends Goku's heart in a fluttered mess.

[ _I'll make you something to eat when you feel like it, then. Well? Do you like what you hear?_ ]

Goku clutches onto the fibers of Sanzo's clothes, and buries his face in the crook of the android's neck. He weakly nods in response to Sanzo's question, and holds back a gasp when a large, yet gentle hand lands on his mussed up, brown hair, and smoothens it down at a languid pace.

Goku closes his eyes, and listens to the sound of his hair being caressed, along with the sound of calming heartbeat from the living android beneath him. When he does fall asleep, Sanzo keeps his task of smoothing out his owner's hair, and even hums as he lays his other hand on the small of Goku's back. He glances at the sky, and sees it dark. Remembering his owner's previous, unspoken order—shushing him—he whispers to himself.

[ _Current weather condition: 22 degrees Celsius. Chance of rain for tomorrow: 40%_.]

He pats his owner's arm lightly, and feels his slightly cool flesh. [ _Core temperature, 35.5 degrees Celsius_.] Sanzo looks around and scans the almost bare room. He sees an open backpack and two pairs of shoes by the entryway, some leftover empty plastic cups of udon noodles on the sink, and a rice cooker on the counter.

{Conflicting priorities.

Select: _Reach for blanket_.

Throw the trash away.}

He reaches for the nearby blanket by their feet as he holds Goku with his other arm. { _Scanning item: Fleece Blanket. Contains: 100% microfleece._ } Nodding, he drapes the blanket over his owner, and a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips as Goku instinctively burrows his head further under Sanzo's chin.

He scans the fluorescent light on the ceiling, and claps twice.

Now enveloped in darkness, Sanzo hums, and splays his hands on Goku's hair and back.

[ _Good night, Goku._ ]

.

Gojyo spurts root beer all over Goku's face as soon as he sits down with a tall, blond man on their usual spot at the school cafeteria.

"What the actual fuck, man? Who he?"

Goku groans as he blindly grabs for the nearest napkins, and Sanzo, being the obedient deviant, places a handful of tissues in Goku's hands. He then scans Gojyo's profile with eyes shifting quickly from purple to blue to red to blue—

[Name: Sha Gojyo. Age: 24. Birthday: November 9, 2021. Occupation: Bartender. Current address: not listed. So. You clean up after other people's mess.]

"Geh? An android? And whaddya mean I clean up after other people's me…—um, yeah. I think I do."

Goku cringes as he plops the tissues on the table, and growls as he throws one at Gojyo's face, "You also clean up their puke. Also, yeah. I got myself a new android!"

[He spat at you. What do you want me to do to him?] Sanzo quips as he looks at Goku with blue eyes and points at Gojyo.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, Sanzo. Please don't do violence at school. You'll get me kicked out."

[Processing request… All right. I won't do it here.]

"Anywhere is not good, either. No violence at all, you understand?"

[…Processing request… Request failed to analyze. If he does it again, I can't guarantee his safety.] Sanzo glances at Gojyo with now bright red eyes that rivals Gojyo's own, and Goku intervenes, clutching Sanzo's face in his hands.

"It's okay, Sanzo. It's okay. Okay? Please don't hurt anyone when I'm around, even when I'm not around. Especially when I'm not around."

The android's red eyes return to a serene violet, and he blinks slowly, [I'll take your assurance as a statement that he's not a threat to your safety, then. But _you_ —] He turns to where Gojyo suddenly raises his hands up and feebly stammers out an apology. [ _You_ are now on my blacklist. Take my words as a warning, fucker.]

Goku slaps his palm to his brow, and hears a lilting laugh behind him.

"It's lovely today, isn't it? Ah, Goku. You finally got an android! Congratulations!"

Goku cranes his neck and waves at the smiling man in glasses. Knowing Sanzo will scan the man, he beats the android to it. "His name's Hakkai. He's the professor I'm working with."

Sanzo tilts his head and mentally scans Hakkai. {Name: Cho Hakkai. Age: 24. Birthday: September 21, 2021. Occupation: History and Culinary Professor. Address: Nantoka-Nantoka #121, Subdivision 5, Block 8, Building 5, Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama.}

Goku looks at Sanzo with a blank stare, "You scanned him anyway, didn't you?"

[Of course. I also find it intriguing that despite not listed as the address, Mr. Gojyo here frequents Mr. Hakkai's residence on a fairly regular basis, as indicated by his phone lying open on the table with his GPS's last known location as Mr. Hakkai's address. Although his location this morning at 8AM changed to that of the address of a brothel down in Machida—]

Gojyo pales, Hakkai's smile freezes, and Goku quickly stuffs a cheese stick down Sanzo's mouth, only for the latter to remove it with his fingers.

[I only stated the facts. No need to get worked up on it. Also, I cannot digest human food. The only thing I can digest is white blood, which serves as my fuel and energy source. You can get a month's supply at PPC. A month's supply of white blood costs $50 a bundle.]

"San–Sanzo, just please shut up now," Goku hisses as he slams his hand on the android's mouth. Hakkai's smile doesn't falter.

"So. A brothel down in Machida, eh? And just this morning, too!"

Gojyo's jaws tremble under the sight of Hakkai's kind façade and contrasting knuckles being cracked. "'Kai, I can explain—"

"You're not getting dinner for a week." Hakkai looks at the redhead with narrowed eyes and a scowl, and he walks away, but not before smiling sweetly at Sanzo the android. "Ah, Sanzo, was it? I'm very pleased to meet you! I hope to see more of you in campus with Goku!"

Sanzo nods, unaware—or simply ignoring—the damaged he has just caused, and returns Hakkai's greeting with a solemn bow, [Pleased to meet you, too, Mr. Hakkai. Please take care of us.]

Once Hakkai leaves, Goku holds his laughter back as he stands up and stretches his arms overhead, grinning down at Gojyo as he does so. "Welp, looks like my job here is done. Come now, Sanzo!"

Sanzo stands up, and follows Goku out of the cafeteria, blatantly ignoring the heated stares from humans being sent his way. His eyes fixate only on his owner—

—and when Gojyo finally recovers and tries to even out the battlefield of words, Goku has long been gone, and opts to openly laugh with the android.

"You should've taken a picture of his stupid face! Man, Hakkai would kill him so bad—!"

[I have already taken the liberty to take a picture of the manroach and have sent it to your email.]

"Oh—"

[And also, should I call on the police if Mr. Hakkai kills him?]

Goku gapes and shakes Sanzo's shoulders, watching as his eyes turn from purple to blue, "No, Sanzo! It was a joke! A joke! Hakkai wouldn't actually kill Gojyo! Don't call the police!"

[Oh,] Sanzo deadpans, and his eyes shift to purple, [well, it's a… relief, I guess?]

Goku heaves a sigh, and looks up at his android with a smile, "Silly Sanzo. Don't take things too literally." Sanzo tilts his head, his eyes shifting briefly to blue and back to purple, and Goku laughs. "For a someone who's supposed to have infinite knowledge, you sure are innocent when it comes to jokes."

[Should I take that as a compliment, I wonder?]

"N-you know what, yes. Yes, it's a compliment," Goku bites his inner cheek as his hand slides to Sanzo's, and holds the android's hand. "Now, care to tell me more about working in PPC?"

.

 **A/N** : 'Nantoka-Nantoka' literally means, 'Something-Something'. Kanagawa Prefecture is where Minekura-sensei lives.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Human in Me**

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was a person unlike any other for him. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED eyes that reel him in._

 _._

Goku spends his morning doing lectures with Hakkai. Being in charge of the powerpoint presentations has never been easier since he had gotten Sanzo. That perfect android even comes with a built-in projector from his eyes—

After each lecture, Goku has to peel the nosy students and the nosy androids away from the new android in school, and does his best to avoid answering unnecessary questions, like—

"How much was it?"

"Did you pay on installment?"

"How's the specs? I heard it's top notch!"

[Do you have the latest OS installed? If not, I can help—]

[Never mind that. Hey, can I add you on my contacts?]

[Do you have an account on DroidBook? Add me!]

"Hey, watch it—!"

Goku tenses as his students and their androids keep badgering them with questions. But never mind that. What's more important is the fact that those students, and even some of the androids, keep trying to touch Sanzo—

—whose eyes are now rapidly spinning between blue and red as he goes rigid with each graze and touch—

[ _Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don'ttouchme—_ ]

Gritting his teeth, Goku pushes the chair behind him and jumps in between Sanzo and the students with their androids, shielding his android from the small, yet morbidly curious mob. He spreads his arms in front of the agitated Sanzo and shrieks, "Stop it right now! He's getting anxious, you know! Just stop it!"

Hakkai, who had been quietly grading papers from the corner and observing everything through his glasses, finally stands and clears his throat, "Please do realize that androids have feelings, too. They get happy, sad, and nervous—depending on the people he's dealing with. I'll ask you now, _children_ , how would you feel if a dozen people would suddenly come up to you and inappropriately touch you in socially unacceptable places for complete strangers to touch?"

The students—and their androids—fall silent and they bow, all of them avoiding Hakkai's stern gaze. There's always a certain tone from their professor that they never want to hear—and hearing them being called 'children' when they are clearly in their twenties is the least of their worried concerns. The androids, too, bow in shame, for they have too much of a respect for the human professor.

"I suspected as much." The professor harrumphs, and taps the pile of papers on the desk, "Now, what are you supposed to say?"

The students and the androids all turn to Goku in unison and they bow, "We're very sorry!"

Goku, however, fights back unneeded tears, and straightens his back as he takes in a deep breath and straightens his tie, and tries not to wail his thanks to Hakkai, "As much as your apology is appreciated, it's not me who needs the apology."

The students all glance at Sanzo, whose fingers have seemed to take purchase on the hems of Goku's now rumpled shirt throughout the whole ordeal. His red eyes shift back to a calm purple, and he hisses as the humans' eyes fall on him.

"We're very sorry, Mr. Android!"

[…I have a name, dipshits.]

Stunned into silence, the sophomores and their companions look warily at one another, unaware that this specific android can curse—

"What's your name, then, sir?" asks one of the now polite students. Sanzo glances at his owner, and back at the humans.

[…Sanzo. My name is Sanzo.]

The collective sigh of relief from the students was cut short as the android continues—

[And if you ever try to touch me without my or my owner's permission again,] he grunts out, the purple lights now going red, [I'll make sure you be slapped with a pricey fine on your and your parents' accounts for damaging private property. And you androids will be met with a virus to your system for a month. Do you understand?]

"Yes, sir!" they shout and bow in unison, suddenly feeling nervousness creep into their cores, and, now satisfied, Sanzo bows and looks down at them from his tall nose.

Goku smiles at the—possibly now traumatized—students, claps once, and dismisses them, earning a smile from Hakkai. "Looks like you're getting a hang of teaching," the professor says, tucking away any remaining papers in his folder of ungraded papers. From behind a small desk, Goku puts the toppled chair back in its place.

They leave the room in peace, and Goku feels proud at how some of the students—and even a few androids—cower upon seeing Sanzo now.

Good. They deserve it.

"Getting a hang of it? You mean, I want to hang myself from all this stress!" Goku whines, and Sanzo, ever the analytical android, pauses in his steps and processes his owner's words.

[Don't even think about killing yourself, idiot,] is the first thing he says, and Goku blinks back at the android.

"…It's just an expression."

[Your ways of expressing yourself are confusing to me. You know I take things literally,] the blond chides with a furrowed brow, and Goku apologizes, telling him he hadn't really meant any of that.

"But I am stressed, though."

Sanzo's eyes whirred to blue as he walks, [May I suggest you go to a spa, then? The mountain sceneries are lovely this time of the year.]

Hakkai casts Goku a knowing smile, but the latter shakes his head and laughs, "Sanzo, I don't even have enough money to pay this month's rent. Old man Jiroushin will make me clean the roofs again, I bet."

The blue LEDs spin and Sanzo stops. [I can clean it for you, if you want,] he says with a raised brow, [I was designed to alleviate my owner's workload and provide him relief. And you're my owner.]

"Y-eah, but… I can't let you do that. You—" Goku swallows the sudden lump in his throat, and remembers the events of last night. "You might get hurt again. What if you fall?"

[If I do fall, a backup memory and another model will suffice and fill in. There's no need to worry—]

"But I do worry!"

Hakkai blinks, looks around at some of the passersby and onlookers—both teachers and students—and bows in a silent apology in Goku's place.

"I worry," the brunet lets out, scratching his arm as he looks away from his android's curious stare. "Sure, another backup machine and memory can replace your body, but not to me! You're alive… to me."

The whirring blue lights stop, and his eyes briefly switch to a deep shade of dark red.

"Sanzo?"

And just as quickly as it had come, the android's eyes whir back to violet, [Nothing. Thanks for thinking I'm alive.]

"But of course you are. What else would you not be, if not alive?"

Sanzo says nothing in return, and Hakkai decides to interrupt the eventful conversation with a smile.

"Goku, I think it's time for you to take a break now. You still have two hours before your shift at PPC, right?"

As though shot out of a trance, Goku blinks and beams, "Oh right! Ah, come on, Sanzo! Time to take the train! Thanks, Hakkai!" And Goku takes Sanzo's hand, dragging the android with him as they run, leaving Hakkai to wave off the hastily retreating pair.

"I wonder when Goku will realize…" the professor whispers to himself with a calm smile.

.

A regular day in PPC consists of newcomers barging in and throwing questions about androids at whoever unfortunate employee happens to be on shift at the time, and it just so happens that it's Goku's turn to face the clients. Having only been briefed by Sanzo and Koumyou for a few hours, he feels unprepared to handle such a task, and mentally feels like crying at each question thrown at him.

He keeps eyeing the clock, waiting for it to strike noon, and when it does, he bows to the customers in line, puts out a 'On Break' sign on the counter, and zooms past the potential buyers, ducking straight into the workbench where Koumyou repairs and makes the androids.

"Is it always a battlefield out there?" Goku heaves out as he takes quick gulps of water that Sanzo has handed to him. Sitting on a stool with a screwdriver in hand, Koumyou laughs as he pats the back of a child-sized, female android.

"You're good to go," he sing-songs, watches as the android twirls around, and smiles at her creator.

[Thank you, Prof. Koumyou!] she says in joy, and hops down the table to retrieve her clothes.

Koumyou notices Goku turn away as soon as the female android dresses up, and he smiles, "Yes, Goku. That's an everyday scene in PPC, which is why there's a huge turnover of part-timers. They can't handle the amount of stress. You're the first one in three months. Before you, it's always Ukoku who handles everything. Sad, huh?"

Goku whines, and sniffs back his snot and blinks his tears away. Thinking how hard it must have been for only two people managing a large amount of customers, Goku suddenly feels a great sense of awe for his employers, "I guess you do need all the help you can get—" He tips the last glass of cool water and breathes out slowly, "Well, time to return to work!"

Sanzo and Koumyou blink, [Your break isn't done until—]

"My break can wait. Those potential customers can't. Ah, Sanzo?"

The android tilts his head—an adorable habit of his, it seems—and asks, [Yes?]

"Please do make me something that will fill my stomach. I'm going to be starving after this."

Goku grins as Sanzo's eyes whir to blue, his voice a tad lower as he speaks, [Understood. I'll prepare a meal for you, then.]

To Koumyou's surprise, Goku jumps back to where Sanzo stands by the water dispenser, and wraps his arms around the android's neck. "Thanks! You're the best!"

The brunet gives him a warm smile and a peck on the cheek—blatantly ignoring the low whistle coming from Koumyou—and bounces away, leaving Sanzo to touch his face, and feels his cheeks go warm.

[Analyzing… Cause of sudden rise of temperature: Osculation on the left cheek.]

From behind him, Koumyou laughs out a sigh, "Sanzo, you don't have to be so technical about it. Just say it's a kiss, and all will be fine."

The LEDs spin to life as Sanzo processes the newfound data, [A kiss… Why did he do that?]

"He likes you, perhaps?" Koumyou suggests with a shrug.

[What do I do with this information?] Sanzo blinks, unsure of what to do next. And the android maker almost gushes at how innocent his deviant creation is sometimes.

"Well, you could... _reciprocate_ , for starters."

Sanzo almost pouts at the loss and the hidden insinuation that escapes his train of thought, [Why should I reciprocate?]

Koumyou looks around and holds his palms out with a shrug, "Well, so he'll know that you appreciate his efforts of keeping you healthy and happy. Isn't that what he wants of you?"

Sanzo hums, and takes in a breath as he looks around, his blue eyes returning to violet, [Well... Yes, he did say that.]

Koumyou's eyes widen in mild surprise, and he holds back a wide smile, "See? Show him how you appreciate him when it's time to go home in... five hours. Okay?"

.

"Uh, Sanzo? What are you doing?"

Sanzo ignores Goku's question, and instead opts to bury his fingers in the brown locks as they ride the train home. There are few people on the train, so Goku shouldn't be embarrassed by having his android show any semblance of affection for him, but—

Goku stays seated. Sanzo remains standing. [In case anyone would harm you,] the android reasons, and Goku fights back the small flutter in his stomach at the gesture.

The blond's fingers feel warm against Goku's scalp, the soft pads massaging deeply into the right spots, and Goku sighs in content as his eyes flutter close.

Sanzo stays quiet as he observes his owner, and blinks as he processes Goku's reactions. Purple LEDs turn to blue, and Sanzo saves all the tiniest changes on Goku's facial expressions.

The gentle, feather-light kiss of lashes against his cheeks. The soft, yet trembling breaths from plump lips. The faint tinge of pink on his tanned cheeks. The minute parting of his lips, where warm air passes through, its warmth caressing Sanzo's wrists, which send his sensors into hypersensitivity—

"Don't stop," Goku whispers, his eyes still closed, and Sanzo hums, mimics his owner's parted lips, and drifts his hand to Goku's jaw.

[I don't intend to,] he murmurs, his voice a soft rumble to Goku's ears, and the human giggles, opens his eyes, and gazes at bright, purple eyes.

"Why do you do this?" the brunet quietly asks as he buries his cheek against the softness of his android's palm, his eyes drifting closed once more.

And finally, he replies, his voice still low and rumbling against Goku's sensitive ears.

[I like doing this. It feels... nice,] he says in all simplicity, and Goku, in his calm trance, accepts Sanzo's answer with a nod and a lazy smile, relishing the feel of his thumb gliding down his cheekbones.

The deep amber hue that Goku's eyes hold makes Sanzo's system grind to a split second halt, and in that moment, the android's eyes switch to blue.

{Saving image... Filename:

Save to Location: Drive D:/IdiotOwner'sFace

...File saved.}

Sanzo bites back a small grin, as he locks the folder with a password that only he knows—not even Goku nor his creators can ever access it.

Sanzo's internal temperature suddenly feels warmer than usual, and he doesn't exactly pinpoint why, but he relishes the feeling, nonetheless.

He feels Goku fall asleep under his touch, and the android nudges his head to where his abdomen lies, his fingers still threaded in the hickory strands.

.

"Sanzo, this is so cute! I want it! Can I have it?"

Goku bounces on the balls of his feet as he squeals at the fluffy, robotic seal displayed on the window on PPC. He has been working at the store for a month now, and he's slowly getting used to the influx of customers flocking to the store everyday. At dead hours, however, few people come to the stores, and Goku has ample time to unwind at work. Currently, he has just finished sweeping outside the store, and has laid eyes on the latest robotic animals.

[You can have it if you want. If you have enough funds to buy it, that is.]

Goku pouts at the white and fluffy seal with the large, round eyes. He smiles at how its tiny tongue sticks out, and how its eyes follows Goku's every move. The ￥202,000 of a robot seal is too much for Goku's broke pockets, though.

Biting his lip after a few moments of thinking, and resigns that he can never actually afford to buy another android without working himself to death, Goku giggles with an impish look on his youthful face, and a minute twitch forms on Sanzo's temple.

The android frowns, and he senses his system halting for a millisecond as his eyes shift to blue.

Sanzo gulps, and cannot help but to keep a record of that face.

{Saving image... Filename:

Save to Location: Drive D:/IdiotOwner'sFace

...File saved.}

"Sanzo?"

The little shrimp asks with a tilt of his head, and Sanzo's wires go into overdrive.

[...Don't do that.]

"Do what?"

The android grinds his teeth, and he gasps out, [ _That_. That face you're making.]

The door to the shop opens, and Ukoku comes out with his arms outstretched. "Break time!" he chirps as he cracks a knot out of his shoulder. Goku and Sanzo look at him with a blank stare, and Ukoku pauses. "Am I... interrupting something?"

"No?"

[ _Yes_.]

Ukoku takes a step back with his palms raised upward, a knowing smile now forming on his lips as he looks at Sanzo's stoic stance. "Alright, then. I'll uh, leave you two alone," the storeowner says with a large grin as he glances at Goku. "Do keep him company. He needs love."

"What?"

[Fuck off, old man!]

Ukoku laughs at the insult, and returns to the shop, a loud, "Hey, everyone! Guess what I just saw!" now echoing from the inside.

Sanzo grumbles with his palm to his face, and Goku, still oblivious to it all, tries to ask but gets cut off immediately.

[Don't ask. Also, why would you want another robot when you can't even take care of me properly?]

Goku gasps, "Excuse me? How could you say that? I even cooked for you!"

[That was fucking noodles-turned-charcoal, idiot. I don't need food. And that was just one time. It doesn't count.]

"Picky android!"

[Stupid monkey!]

"I'm not a monkey!"

[You drool and sleep with your mouth open, so you're a monkey!]

"What does that have to do with anything?"

The passersby whisper and giggle amongst themselves as they see the human and the android bickering, and, Sanzo, being irritable by the nature of his program, gnashes his teeth when he notices the prying looks, and shields Goku on instinct, hiding him from the people and the androids' eyes.

"...I thought you're mad?" Goku asks, his voice muffled under the coat that Sanzo wears.

[I'm not mad. It's just the way I'm programmed.]

"The deviant in you, you mean?"

[...Yeah. That.] Sanzo brushes a stray lock of hair away from the tanned cheeks, and he analyzes his owner's temperature. [You're getting cold. I'll take you inside.]

Goku nods absentmindedly, his face still half-buried in his android's sternum.

The human refuses to admit that the android's heartbeat calms him down.

Sanzo drapes his hand on Goku's shoulder and ushers him inside, and looks back at any remaining onlookers. Seeing none, he deems himself satisfied, and as the doors close, he smoothens and buries his fingers in Goku's hair once more.

{Current task:

Make stupid owner forget the stupid seal.}

[What do you want to eat tonight?] Sanzo asks in a calm voice, and he feels a spark of triumph flow in his wires as Goku suddenly beams at him.

"I'll take whatever you recommend!" he jovially coos, and it takes all of the all-too-deviant of an android not to give him a reply that would sprout tendrils of corruption in Goku's otherwise innocent visage.

[...I'll take the liberty to cook and heat up delicious things for you, then.]

Goku laughs, and wraps his arms around Sanzo.

"I can't wait!"

Sanzo leers, his narrowed purple eyes turning to a deep shade of red.

{Current task:

Make the stupid owner forget the stupid seal.

...Task completed.}

.

Sanzo has been under Goku's care for five months now, and, unbeknownst to his owner, the android has already saved folders upon folders of pictures and videos of his 'idiot owner' in his memory—memories that are encrypted and password-protected—memories that Sanzo accesses when he has the time to be alone, or when he has the time to plan out how tomorrow's events will be based on the weather.

In the wee hours of dawn, Goku's head lays on Sanzo's arm, unaware of the pair of eyes that record and save his every intake of soft breathing. In the darkness of the bare room, Sanzo's eyes dim to a midnight blue hue, recording and saving all the details of his owner, memorizing and committing all that embodies Goku in his vast database.

The minute touches as the human moves and tosses and turns in his sleep, the soft breathing, the warmth emanating from his body—Sanzo memorizes them all.

He recalls, at one point, that his owner had started to respond to minute touches on his face before he wakes up.

And so, in his vast, ever-evolving database filled with deviant algorithms, he has reacted to what he has deemed as acceptable behavior from his owner's perspective.

The android had been doing it to him ever since.

His lips part, and he kisses the unsuspecting human's cheeks.

Sanzo concludes that he likes doing it to his human, and so he does it again.

And again.

And again.

He stops mid-kiss as his exploration leads him to Goku's parted lips, and Sanzo touches them, his fingers hesitant as they meet the plump flesh—

The alarms in Sanzo's system stuns him for a moment, and he pauses.

[ _It's now 5:00AM_ ,] he murmurs, and he frowns, his current task now unfinished.

But—

{Current task:

Wake idiot owner up.}

He feels emboldened, feels his ventilation pumps work twice as hard as he leans in—

—and kisses Goku's lips.

His kisses grow quicker, longer, bolder, as he peppers his human with a dance of his lips on skin—

The beginnings of Goku's opening eyes doesn't stop Sanzo—it only makes him go bolder, as he licks and parts Goku's lips with his tongue, now making Goku wide awake and aware he is being kissed.

The pliant tongue prods, silently asking for entrance, something that Sanzo would never initiate on a regular basis—

—but what he's doing right now is not a part of his regular tasks, only… a part of his whims, his sudden mood for exploration, or so he convinces himself.

And explore, he does.

Goku whines in the android's mouth and slackens his own, and Sanzo moans as finally, _finally_ , he is granted permission—

In the break of dawn, their silhouettes collide, their hands join, curl, and grip at each other's tousled locks. Their mouths entwine and their tongues swirl in a lewd dance, their breaths heaving with every grind and groan—

And when Goku parts for air, Sanzo stills, licking his lips at the sight of his disheveled owner, his memory recording and saving every scene and sound and scent and taste and touch—

"Hello," Goku whispers, still breathless as his hands tremble and musses up Sanzo's hair with a small smile.

[Good morning. It's now 5:15AM. Time to start the day.]

He says it so casually, so calmly, that Goku cannot help but laugh.

"You really like doing this, huh?" he quips, a playful smile tugging on his lips as he wraps his arms around Sanzo's neck, and nuzzles the warmth settling there.

The android hums, and tries to bide time, refusing to answer as he twists the loose coils on Goku's hair, and tries to look at anywhere but the inquisitive glint reflected on those golden eyes. Sanzo's dark red eyes slide close as he relishes on the feel of those slender digits toying with his locks.

[Do you want me to keep doing it?] he breathes out in a whisper, humming as Goku glides his hand on his golden hair.

"I should ask you that. Do you want to?"

[Yes,] Sanzo replies a bit too quickly for his liking, although his blatant honesty makes Goku tilt his head and smile from ear to ear.

"Keep doing it, then."

Just like that, Sanzo's current dark red eyes switch to a whirring, bright blue, and his current tasks refresh anew.

{Current task:

Wake idiot owner up.

...Task completed.

New tasks:

Set alarm earlier than usual.

Keep waking idiot owner up with kisses daily.}

Sanzo's breath hitches as a new tab pops up in his system, flashing incessantly.

{...Morning sex (optional).}

"Sanzo, you okay?"

Sanzo clutches onto Goku's shirt, and nods.

[I'm writing down tasks that will satisfy your requests and my needs. It's almost done.]

Goku nods, too trusting of the android currently plotting his imminent and sweet corruption. He observes the way Sanzo's Adam's apple bobs—its action too real for him, and an urge crawls from his veins, wanting to lick it and feel it against his tongue—

Never mind that he's an android. Never mind that he's not made of real flesh and that everything is 'artificial' in the people's eyes—

Sanzo speaks, his voice calm, [It's done.]

—for Goku, he's as alive as he is.

"Could you show me what you've planned for me?"

Sanzo feels the white blood in his heart stop.

Goku raises his chest to the android's as he gives him a coy smile, and Sanzo almost groans.

[You'll be late.]

Goku draws Sanzo's face close to his lips and grins.

"I don't care. Just show me."

Sanzo's hand travels to Goku's waist, and dips his mouth to his owner's ear.

[ _Let me indulge you, then_.]

When Goku and Sanzo arrive at work a bit late that day, Ukoku questions them why.

"I had to charge Sanzo for a few hours before we left," he explains, and Ukoku simply hums with a knowing smile when the android in question turns his back to Ukoku's prying eyes.

Goku looks to the side, clamping his lips and fiddling with his fingers as Sanzo immediately starts working without a word as he takes over to clean the sleeping androids' shelves, the slight smile on his lips staying there for the remainder of the day.

.

 **A/N** : Thank you very much to all those who reviewed! :D Reviews keep me alive and happy, just so you know. :3


	4. Chapter 4

**The Human in Me**

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was a person unlike any other for him. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED that reels him in_.

* * *

Koumyou hums and silently smiles as he watches his creation and his employee interact with each other, just like how a parent would to any potential suitors to their precious child—memorizing and judging every detail with a hint of pride whenever their child would smile.

And how Sanzo smiles—!

Koumyou observes how Sanzo curses at Goku, only for Goku to return the curse tenfold. Right now, Goku tries to reach for the tiny android—now named Nataku—on Sanzo's shoulder, and Sanzo, feeling mischievous, takes the tiny android and raises it far from Goku's reach, just to mock his owner's height.

Koumyou feels his heart swell as Goku, despite looking angry, starts to cry while laughing at the same time—

—and Sanzo's shoulders shake, the tiny beginnings of mirth seeping to his upturned lips.

"Well, would you look at that," the blond murmurs to Ukoku, who's been sitting and oiling up tools beside Koumyou. " _Our little boy is actually smiling!_ "

Ukoku doesn't even try to hide his smirk as he looks at the aforementioned android through the glasses slipping from his nose. "And here you tell me we can't sell him."

"Well, _technically_ , we didn't—"

"Koumyou, that's beside the point."

The blond man laughs, and swallows a bubbling guffaw as Goku kicks Sanzo's shin in an attempt to get the palm-sized android.

Goku squeals and laughs as the tiny android grabs onto his ears as Goku runs from Sanzo, effectively making the irate android catch up to him.

"Sanzo, you're cheating!"

[Say your prayers, you idiot monkey—!]

The doors to PPC open, and in comes a customer who sees Goku being pinned to the ground by an angry-looking android.

Being caught unawares at the compromising position, however, doesn't even faze Goku, as he smiles even when being pinned down to the floor by his own android.

"Hi! Welcome to Personal Partner Computers! How may I help you?"

The customer, a tall man with black hair, steps back at the nonchalance of the employee seemingly being harassed by an android. "Um, is this an android store?"

[Obviously,] Sanzo replies just as nonchalant as his owner, as he regards the customer with judging, blue eyes. [Mr. Homura Taishi. Professor at C. . Good afternoon. I surmise you're looking for an android? Since no android seems to be under your registration.]

Mr. Homura stands just a tad straighter upon hearing an android mention his name, and he straightens his tie as he steps in the store.

"Yes, I'm looking for an android," he says, unsure if he has to address the scene before him.

Goku, however, lightly pushes Sanzo away from him. The latter obeys, and helps Goku up. Sanzo then stands beside his owner, his system now on standby mode as he crosses his arms and looks at the customer with a frown.

"You've come to the right place then, sir! What type would you like?" Goku asks with a smile.

Mr. Homura blinks, and looks back and forth between Goku and the android. "Just a tiny one will suffice, thank you."

Goku nods, and lays out his palm for little Nataku to step on it. "This little one is the NT013 series, the first of his kind. He's lightweight, so portability is easy. He can fit in your pocket, or just sit on your head and shoulder just fine. Just be mindful if you have sensitive ears, as he has to grab onto something when you're walking while he's sitting on your shoulder." Goku smiles at Mr. Homura, and regards his business attire with a nod, "Or if you don't want him to hang onto your head or shoulder, he could fit on your coat pocket well. Just—make sure he can have enough space to breathe."

"I thought androids don't need to breathe?"

"If their noses are blocked, or if their chests are constricted for a long time—say, three minutes is a long time for them—the pumps in their systems which serve as their lungs, and therefore their instrument to breathe, will overheat, and will cause other parts to also overheat, which will damage your android in a certain amount of time. And you wouldn't want that, right?"

The sudden sternness in Goku's voice made Mr. Homura pause in thought, "...No, of course I wouldn't. I-I understand." He checks and opens his breastpocket, "Can I try it?"

Goku glances at Ukoku and Koumyou, who both shrug, and he looks back at the customer. "Yeah, sure! Nataku, jump there—...His footwear makes cute noises when he jumps, too! So you'll know when and where he's moving about when you're not looking. Because of his tiny size, his specialized shoes serve like how a bell with a collar would around a cat's neck would be. You can also modify its sound. The default sound is the 'squeaky' sound. It's supposed to sound as cute as possible!"

Homura nods as little Nataku settles in and tries to find a comfortable position in his pocket, and when he does, the little android pops up from the pocket with a raised hand.

[Mission accomplished! I have successfully landed on the customer's pocket!] he says with a large grin, and Ukoku, who has been observing the android, coos and gushes in the corner—" _That's my boy!_ "—

"He's so cute when he does that...!—Um, oh yes!" Goku starts, noticing that Homura has yet to remove his attention from the shuffling little android in his pocket, "You can upgrade his memory from 5PB up to 64PB. He costs ¥396,000—as it says on the tag on his white robe. You can turn him on or off by lightly touching the blue, diamond button on his forehead... But uh, I suggest you don't do it now, since, well, you haven't bought him yet."

"Oh, right," Mr. Homura says meekly, letting out an embarrassed laugh as he takes his finger away from Nataku's forehead. "It's just that, he's quite adorable."

"That he is. He also comes with a fountain pen, if you like to be fancy. He equips it, you see."

"Excuse me, did you say 'equip'?"

Goku ignores the question and grins, "Nataku, get your pen, please."

[Yes, sir!] and he hops from the pocket, to Goku's palm, to Sanzo's shoulder, and onto the edge of the glass shelf beside Ukoku. The little android runs to his shelf—his feet making squeaky noises as he does so—and grabs a fountain pen, and hauls it as high as he can. [Mission accomplished! Equipped the fountain pen!]

Goku claps for the little android as he bows with the pen in hand. "Ain't he the cutest thing? So. What do you say?"

Mr. Homura holds his breath as little Nataku twirls the pen around with his tiny arms, smiling happily all the while. The little android's white robe with golden hems seem to contribute to its features of being adorable, along with its large, bright and golden eyes, and that long, gray hair tied in a bun—

He looks at the employee with a passive face, and said employee looks at him with an expectant smile.

From the side, Koumyou takes pictures of little Nataku with his phone, cooing at the android all the while.

"Fine, then. I'll take it," Mr. Homura finally says, giving in after seeing the tiny android dance around with the fountain pen in its arms.

"'Him'."

The customer pauses as he pulls out his wallet, his credit card now perched in between his fingers, "Excuse me?"

"'Him'. Please refer to the android as 'him'. He's clearly a boy," Goku clarifies as he places his hands behind his back. Beside him, Sanzo looks at his owner with a quiet approval.

The customer scratches his head with his credit card, and looks away briefly, "Oh. Right. Sorry. Um. Nataku, was it?"

The aforementioned android stops his dance, and looks at the customer, [Yes?]

"Will you go with me?" Mr. Homura asks, and Goku purses his lips.

"I'm afraid you can't have that specific one. But we do have a newer stock. Nataku, get one from the back," he says, and raises his palms up as the customer tries to say something. "Don't worry. The newer stock will still have the same features as the one you're seeing on him now. You can't have this specific NT013 one because—"

[I'm a prototype!] Nataku squeaks out from the back, and he heaves a box with the same height as he has, and places it on the shelf. Nataku takes his fountain pen and climbs on the box, and stabs it twice. He opens up the box flaps, and reveals another tiny android with the same face as he has. Nataku faces the customer, and explains, [This NT013 has all the same functions and settings as I have. The only difference we have is the name. Mr. Goku there named me. Isn't that nice?]

Nataku sways on the balls of his feet as he looks up at Mr. Homura with a wide smile, and the latter looks away with a pout.

"Yeah, it's nice." Turning to Goku, he speaks with renewed confidence, "This new one from the box, can I have... him?"

"Oh yeah, sure! Lemme just get the receipt..." Goku comes over behind the glass shelf and retrieves a stack of receipts. While doing so, Koumyou comes up to Mr. Homura with a friendly smile.

"Thank you for buying one of my NT013 series. Please take care of him well," he says, bowing to the customer.

The customer nods and smiles, and looks to where the sleeping android stands on his charging station. He lightly taps Nataku's forehead, "I will. He resembles a tiny animal, I think." He turns to Goku and hands in his card. "This larger one," he says, pointing a finger to Sanzo, "is he also a prototype?"

[You're correct,] Sanzo says, his chin now held high as he speaks, [I used to belong to my creators, but I have been… delivered, as a gift, to that human processing your purchase.]

"A gift?" the customer asks, his eyebrow now raised as he glances at Koumyou.

"…It's a long story," Koumyou laughs out, waving his hand in front of him frantically, "anyway, I hope you'll be happy with your new android. Would you like to set it up now?"

Mr. Homura, sensing the mood, nods, smacks his lips, and shrugs with a smile, "Sure, why not?"

"Great! Nataku, if you would, please?"

Goku stamps the receipt and hands it to Homura with a smile. Nataku salutes Koumyou and places his hand on the sleeping android's forehead.

[You're awake now.]

NT013's shoulders jolt as he slowly opens his eyes, and smiles at the first human he recognizes, [Hello, Creator. How are you?]

"Hello, NT013. I'm doing good, thank you. This man here will be your owner from now on," Koumyou gestures at Homura, who waves at the little android. "Would you like to give him a name now, Mr. Homura?"

Mr. Homura ponders, and glances at where Nataku stands, idly swaying on his feet, "Can I name him after Nataku? Or maybe I can change it a bit… Ah. I know."

Koumyou nods, "Alright, then. NT013, register your name."

NT013 blinks, his amber eyes now shifting to blue, [What will my name be?]

Mr. Homura clears his throat, and whispers to Koumyou, " _There's some voice recognition software installed on him, right?_ " The blond man nods, and the customer sighs in relief, "Right. Your name is Natsuku."

Natsuku does to Mr. Homura the exact things Sanzo has done to Goku months prior—retinal scan, fingerprint scan, facial and body recognition, until—

Koumyou hums, and looks at a puzzled Homura, "Do you want him to do his other tasks to complete the registration? Don't worry about the password bit. You can do that one later."

Goku has grown used to it by now, and has also grown fond of the prototype androids residing in PPC. There's Sanzo the snappy android, Nataku the jovial android—

Mr. Homura laughs loud for the first time since he had entered the shop as Natsuku jumps straight onto the customer's nose and hugs it.

From the alcove, another android appears. A busty, ginger-haired teenage android by the name of Lirin skips outside the storage room and hops straight to where Ukoku sits.

[Hi, the repairs are done now!] she says with a snappy salute and a bright smile, and Mr. Homura, seeing the android for the first time, waves at her, which she returns with much enthusiasm.

"Are all the androids here so... lively?" the man asks, trying not to look cross-eyed as Natsuku grabs and pinches his owner's skin as he climbs onto the man's head.

Ukoku thanks Lirin, and she happily skips away, and he says, "Not all of them, you know. That one there, the first of the Sanzo series, is a hell of a stick in the mud, if you ask me."

Sanzo snarls and gives Ukoku the finger, and Ukoku laughs.

"See what I mean? There's also another female prototype I'd like to show you, but she's currently charging at the back."

"Here's your card, sir. Thank you for your purchase. Have a nice day!" Goku smiles. The customer returns the smile and grabs the pamphlets accompanied with the box. Before leaving, Goku gives one final handshake to the little android now sitting on Mr. Homura's shoulder. "Take care of yourself and your owner, okay? Make him laugh and make him happy, just like what Nataku does to us."

Natsuku blinks, processes the information, and bounces on his feet. Mr. Homura cups his hand under his right shoulder just in case the android falls.

[Don't worry. I'll take care of Mr. Homura just as how my brother's taking care of our creators! Bye bye!]

Homura and Natsuku leaves, both of them waving at the bowing Goku and the smiling professors.

"Well, hopefully that's another satisfied customer!" Ukoku says, stretching his arms overhead. "Lirin!" he calls out to the android screwing a joint to another android's shoulder. "Take a break. You've been at the storage for the whole morning."

Lirin cranes her neck from the door and salutes with a grin, [Aye, aye, Captain!]

"Sanzo, just four more hours!" Goku sing-songs as he packs the box and plastic bags away.

"Are you going somewhere, Goku?" Koumyou asks while putting Nataku inside his open glass shelf.

"Yeah, I'm going to check out the new restaurant near here. Would you like to come with us?" Goku asks, giggling as he places the tiny box on Sanzo's head.

"In that case, we should wrap up early! Ah, Ukoku, do you want to go with Goku and Sanzo? We're going to eat out!" Koumyou claps in excitement.

"Sure," Ukoku grumbles as he tweaks a screw in a child-sized android on a table. "Good. This one's done! I just need to attach the skin."

[I'll help,] Lirin jumps in, a soldering iron now cradled in her small hands.

The glasses slip from Ukoku's nose and gives her a tired stare, to which she returns with a laugh. "You're on your break, Lirin. Don't give me that 'But I don't get tired!' laugh again."

"Ukoku, just do that tomorrow. Bring Lirin with us!" he hears Koumyou call out with barely concealed excitement, and Ukoku gives in.

Lirin jumps in glee upon being allowed to go with her creators. Once their shifts are over, they close the shop early to go out.

[It's a Friday, after all,] Sanzo reasons, and for once, allowing Goku to hold his hand in public. The professors chat among themselves about the wonders of technology around them, often sharing their opinions on how to improve the androids in any way they can. And Lirin and Nataku chirp on about, often going from shop to shop, admiring the bright lights and the different things their human creators have offered.

They reach the restaurant that Goku has been raving about, and Ukoku takes the lead.

"For three people and two androids. And one wee one."

The lady—a human—nods, "Will you be requesting for charging stations?"

"Nah," Ukoku says, shaking his head, "but I'll request for a smoking booth, if I could."

"Certainly. Right this way, please."

The lady leads them to a room at the back, where a sign says, 'For Mixed' on the top of the doors.

On their way there, stares follow their every move.

Ukoku and Koumyou, however, shrug them off as soon as Goku notices the telltale whispers from some of the seated customers as the glass doors behind them close.

"Never mind them. They're just jealous," Ukoku huffs with a wave. "They don't know the cost of progress."

"I don't know Mr. Ukoku," Goku mumbles as he sits down and cranes his neck to where some of the patrons are still looking at them with judging eyes. "They kinda look pissed and I don't know why."

[They seem to tolerate us. Some humans, I mean,] Sanzo observes, glancing at the patrons outside the room with his blue, LED gaze. [I don't mind. As long as they're not openly hostile towards us.]

Goku frowns, an expression that Sanzo notices but chooses not comment on, and takes the proffered glass of water on the table. "I'll throw wrenches at them if they're hostile to you."

The doors to the mixed room opens once more, and a group of noisy men enter, laughing and joking crudely about anything and everything.

When their orders arrive, Goku and his employers try their best to eat in piece, with their androids sitting and idly chatting beside them, all the while looking out for them.

On their second round of food, however, a glass of beer from the booth behind them hurls on top of Sanzo's head, spilling its contents on his hair and onto Goku's pristine white shirt.

Time seems to stop as Sanzo's eyes turn bright red.

[ _Oh, it's fucking on now._ ]

Goku hasn't got time to react and stop Sanzo from hauling himself onto the booth behind them and land a punch on the unfortunate person's face—

Ukoku leans back on the lounge and slurps on his iced tea as he watches the unfolding chaos with barely concealed mirth. Koumyou and the other androids try to stop Goku who also has joined in on the fight with Sanzo—

"Fuck, man, watch it! I didn't mean to, shit!"

The familiar voice snaps Goku out of his hangry state, stopping his fist mid-punch as Sanzo lands his elbow on the man—

Goku's lip curls in a snarl as the man whose clothes he's balled in a fist raises his hands in surrender.

"Geh, Gojyo?"


	5. Chapter 5

**The Human in Me**

.

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was the person of his dreams. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED eyes that reel him in_.

.

Gojyo winces as he nurses his bust up lip with an ice pack provided by a waitress passing by.

They have been kicked out of the restaurant they had been staying in an hour prior, and are now on low profile as they have taken the table at the very back of the restaurant.

Luckily enough, this particular restaurant doesn't discriminate between android and human, something that Goku has been thankful for.

Goku taps his feet and crosses his arms as Gojyo dabs the ice pack on his broken lip. Beside Goku is Sanzo, whose beer-drenched hair is being dried by a panicking Nataku.

Koumyou and Ukoku, both silent witnesses, calmly sip their drinks with straws as Gojyo struggles to apologize through his broken lip.

Lirin, however, has other plans, as she takes fun and laughs at poking Gojyo's bruised cheek.

"Look, I 'in't know that wash' you!"

"That's not the point, roachface. I can't go home smelling like beer piss! My landlord will bang on my door and ask me questions! And I haven't paid last week's rent yet!"

"What did you spend your money on?" Koumyou asks, concern written on his face. Goku looks away, embarrassed, and mumbles at the sudden turn of conversation.

"Um... Food for me and clothes for Sanzo...?"

Ukoku and Koumyou blink and look at each other, when Gojyo cuts in with a cough and a painful-sounding laugh.

"Stupid monkey! Androids don't need lots of clothes! They just need to turn on their temp core on high or low depending on the weath—ow!"

Koumyou kicks Gojyo's shin once more before the redhead can even start, and Ukoku gives Gojyo a stern glare. The redhead clamps his mouth shut.

"That's very nice of you, Goku!" Koumyou beams as he claps and pats Goku's head. "I also have clothes made exactly for Sanzo, but he refuses to wear any of them. He says they're too... puffy," he says with a minute pout.

The android in question looks away and crosses his arms, [They look like fucking bathrobes.]

The usually calm Koumyou twitches and his voice cracks as he snaps, "For Buddha's sake, they're _not_ bathrobes! They're yukatas!"

[Same clothes, different ways to say it.]

"You stubborn little—ugh. Ukoku, could you help me here?"

Ukoku chats up with little Nataku, much to Koumyou's dismay, and the blond looks at Goku in desperation. "Could you please tell him that they're not bathrobes?"

Goku, who had been momentarily distracted by a burger on the table, nods as he chews. He faces Sanzo with lettuce bits and ketchup smears around his mouth as he speaks, "Th'y're not bathwobes'!" He pauses, swallows his food, and tries again, "They're not bathrobes! They're yukatas! They're loose and warm and nice!"

Sanzo glances at him from the corner of his eye, the LEDs whirring between blue and purple. His frown remains, but—

Those large, idiotic, golden eyes are too much for the android's database to handle.

[...If you say it like that, then...] Sanzo looks at his creators, his face now devoid of the earlier irritation. [Okay, I'll wear the stupid clothes you're making me wear.]

Ukoku chokes on his drink—from laughter or from shock, no one can tell—and Koumyou reaches over to ruffle the android's blond hair in glee.

"That's the spirit! Now, eat up, everyone! Let's all forget the earlier commotion, shall we?" Koumyou smiles, but directs his stern gaze at an embarrassed Gojyo now shrinking in his seat. "Ah, my child, here—" he takes out a can filled with thin, white liquid, and offers it to Sanzo. "You need replenishment."

Sanzo tilts his head, and his eyes turn blue for a moment, [Current amount of white blood: 4.8 liters. The few milliliters of white blood that exited my mouth from the punches that landed on my blood bank were from that walking roach. A pint of refuel should suffice.] He takes the can, pops the lid open, and drinks its contents.

Goku, fascinated after seeing an android drink a can of liquid, asks, "Do you have an esophagus? Is it waterproof?" He sees Sanzo faintly nod as he downs the can, and he hums as he hears Sanzo gulping down the liquid. "Is that white blood? It's the first time I've seen an android drinking." Again, he nods, and slams the can on the table as soon as he finishes it.

[It's white biofuel made from a variety of grapes, which earns its white color due to it being first cold pressed. If consumed by humans, it may have a sedative effect,] Sanzo explains as he taps the sides of the can with his fingers.

In front of him, Ukoku smirks behind his glass of iced tea. Beside him, Koumyou smiles.

"I see," Goku replies, mulling over Sanzo's answer with a thoughtful look. The android glances at his owner, and notices his sudden somber mood. Noticing the android looking at him, he shakes his head with a smile. "I'm good. Just thinking if you can also drink normal human drinks. Must be sad tasting the same thing over and over."

Sanzo blinks and processes his owner's words, [I have taste sensors, yes. But I can only drink white blood, as it's my fuel. Anything other than that might damage my... esophagus. And also my heart pump.]

A crestfallen 'oh' slips past Goku's lips, and Sanzo shrugs.

[White blood fuel now full. Unused fuel is now stored in the emergency sac until it's needed.] He places the can on the table, and kicks Gojyo's shin. Amused at the hissed curses Gojyo spills from his stupidly busted lips, Sanzo huffs, [That's for making my human upset.]

Ukoku and Koumyou catch each other's eyes for the briefest of moments, and, in that moment, they smile. "My child is growing up," Koumyou says with a hiccup in his voice, and Ukoku pats his back.

[The fuck are you on about?] Sanzo grimaces, and his creators merely wave his disgust off. [...Stupid creators.]

Ukoku smirks, "Stupid android."

Sanzo grumbles something incoherent as he leans over Goku's ear and whispers something as he gives Ukoku and Koumyou a sidelong glance, to which Goku replies with a muffled snort behind his fist and squinted, mirth-filled eyes to the android creators.

Gojyo, who has been observing the scene with a sobering mood, finally says, "Am I the only one sensing something different here?" He looks around, sees no one make any comment, and sighs, "Whatever, man. Um, listen. I really, really didn't mean to uh, throw that mug of beer on you... my bad."

Goku pouts and blinks, glances to Sanzo's now clean hair, and grins at Gojyo, "Yeah. Sorry I dragged you away from your friends. Not sorry I punched you, though."

Gojyo tries to laugh, but ends up making a face from pain, "Fuck you, too, monkey."

[Tell that shit to my stupid owner one more time and I'll smash that shitty mouth of yours for good.] Sanzo, whose eyes had been a calm purple seconds ago, now glares at Gojyo with red eyes, and blatantly ignores Goku's aghast face directed at him.

Gojyo looks away, nonetheless, and wipes a stray bead of cold sweat. "...Uh. Sorry, Goku." He dares to glance at Sanzo, sees the red eyes glowing brighter, and looks away once more, ignoring Lirin's continuous prodding at his swollen cheek. "Sorry for real."

Both sides reconcile with barely concealed insults laced with grins, and conversation finally flow freely into the night. They talk of anything they can think of, of current events and the latest tech, of the nature of their work—

Goku talks about his life as an intern under Professor Hakkai's name, and, soon, as a salesman under Professors Ukoku and Koumyou. He talks of his kind but strict landlord, his imminent departure from the orphanage he had grew up in, and his endless thanks for meeting the professors—for bringing Sanzo to his side, even at the cost of breaking his back over once more for doing a second job.

Gojyo talks of his life as a live-in bartender at a bar near the apartment where Professor Hakkai lives. He talks of how they met at the bar during one, boring night. He talks of how Hakkai has intrigued him, made him question life with just a few questions over a few drinks, and had ended up with Hakkai taking Gojyo home, talking about mixing philosophy and gambling all the while—and have been living together ever since.

Ukoku and Koumyou, however, talk of how they had known each other since high school. They have been at each other's throats—and occasionally, at each other's mouths—for the position of being the student council president in high school, and again at college, when they have fought for being summa cum laude. They have only truly reconciled when they saw each other once more during their intern years at a university they have applied for as professors in robotics. It had been through a project they have been working on—a fully functional, palm-sized android. When they have been recognized and praised for their efforts, they became known as the Inseparable Pair. In any field that one of them is in, the other is sure to follow, and both would undeniably excel.

When they have become professors, their desks at the faculty room have been placed side by side. The classrooms that they have taught in have also been side by side. Even their portraits as professors in the bulletin boards in the hallway have been placed side by side. And when they decided that their time for their teaching had come to an end for three years, no one had doubted that the two went on the same path once more, but now, they have traveled a thornier path—

—the path to becoming the pioneers in creating androids with human emotions, capable of feeling and deciding for themselves, all the while maintaining a peaceful relation with their human creators—the perfect android creation for the imperfect human race.

It had been a long, painful journey of pushing their beloved creation to the public. And when they have, the people have embraced these androids with open arms.

Turning a blind eye to those who look down on androids as overpriced, human-shaped machines have been difficult for Koumyou, as he had wanted his creation to be on equal footing with humans. On Ukoku's part, however, ignoring them have been easy. He had retaliated by creating more sentient, emotional androids, and in turn, more humans have grown to love and protect them.

"They are friendly, capable of empathy and emotion, and are protective of their owners, capable of risking their lives for their human companions—if the human in question loves their android, of course, if not, then… sucks to be that human at the mercy of their scorned android. What more could you ask for?" Koumyou smiles as he pats Nataku now sleeping on his arm on the table. Ukoku simply swirls his drink in his hands, thoughtful at Koumyou's words, and smiles.

"This NT013 android was our first creation," Ukoku says as he stares at the ice melting in his glass. "Tiny, yes, but fully operational, and is a great source of entertainment and deep conversation. You can also access the dark web, too!" He grins at Gojyo and Goku, the pride brimming from his words, to which Koumyou replies with a tut at the man.

They laugh, and androids Sanzo and Lirin tilt their heads in confusion. [We can access it right now if you want,] Lirin says with a blink, her lavender eyes turning gray as she processes the pages on the dark web.

"No need for a demonstration, Lirin," Koumyou laughs out, and the strawberry blond-haired android nods, her eyes reverting to lavender. "Thank you for inviting us, Goku," he says as he leans over the table and pats Goku's head. "It's been a long time since we talked to anyone about my and Ukoku's past. It has been fun!"

Goku grins, and hides his face behind Sanzo's shoulders with a cheeky smile. "Don't mention it, Professor Koumyou. I had fun, too!" he squeals as he squeezes Sanzo's arm, and suddenly yawns through a wide smile. "'m sleepy."

Sanzo blinks at Goku, then at his creators, then back at Goku. [I'll take you home. It's almost 10PM.] Goku buries his forehead further on Sanzo's shoulder and shakes his head, whining. The android clicks his tongue. [We're going home, and that's final,] he demands as he wipes the remaining bits of sauce on Goku's face. He bows to his creators, [I'm taking my idiot owner home. Have a safe trip back home, Fathers.]

Koumyou holds back his tears, speechless, as he hears Sanzo's words. He watches as the android carries the now snoozing Goku like a baby and exits the restaurant. As they leave, however, Nataku wakes up with a jolt, his eyes whirring into an amber hue, and faces Sanzo's retreating back.

He waves and calls for Sanzo's attention with a wide smile, and receives a nod in return. [Sanzo sent me a signal telling me to get you home safely,] he says as he bounces on his feet.

Lirin raises her hand and waves it excitedly, [He sent me a message telling me to take care of you, too!]

Koumyou blinks, and huffs out an amused laugh to an equally amused Ukoku, "He really is growing up, Ukoku."

Gojyo observes the professors in a thoughtful silence, and back to where Sanzo exits the restaurant with a sleeping Goku in tow.

.

The drive back home is quiet, save for the occasional honks from the taxi Sanzo and Goku are in.

[Please park there on the left... Thank you. Now processing payment—...payment confirmed.] Sanzo stares at the small monitor beside the steering wheel, and sees the words, 'Payment received' pop on the screen. He nods to the driver, [Thank you again.]

The driver—a man in his 30s—tips his hat and smiles at the android through the rearview mirror, "You're welcome, Mr. Android. Have a nice day. And to your sleeping owner, too."

Sanzo glances to where Goku still sleeps on his shoulder, and hums. [Yeah, thanks.]

Sanzo drags Goku out of the taxi by the armpits, hauls him over his shoulder, and bids the driver a good night. On their way in, Sanzo sees an old man with a mustache writing on a ledger by the reception desk.

[Good evening, Mr. Jiroushin,] Sanzo greets with a bow. And, upon remembering Goku's earlier woes about smelling like beer, inwardly sighs. [My stupid owner got into an accident at a restaurant wherein a fuckwad of an idiot poured beer on us. Hence, our current stench. I apologize.] He hopes the message will get across, and when Jiroushin mimics Sanzo's exasperated sigh, the android concludes that it does.

Mr. Jiroushin seems to have gotten immune to the random bouts of Sanzo's expletives being thrown around.

"Just... be careful next time, boys. I don't even want to ask how it started," Jiroushin laments as he stops scribbling on the ledger. He notes the android's silence, the look of someone who wants to say something, but cannot, "If you're going to say something about the payment, don't mention it. He can pay it when he can."

Sanzo nods and bows, and gives the old man his thanks. [I will repay you in the place of my owner, from the money I have received from my employers. Please give me a moment.]

"Huh? Um, well, you don't have to—"

The blinking, blue LED eyes shift to purple, and Sanzo bows once more, [Payment confirmed.]

The monitor by Jiroushin's side flashes a message that says, 'Amount of ¥70,000.00 received from Tenant #4 - Son Goku of Room 105.' The old man gasps, and stares at the android in surprise, "But Mr. Sanzo, I can't possibly accept it without your owner's permission—"

[Please,] Sanzo says, his face contorts to worry as he clutches Goku a bit tighter on his shoulder. [Accept it. I have a free will, and my wish is to remove some of my owner's burdens.]

Jiroushin pauses in thought, and, upon hearing Sanzo's insistence, gives him a tired smile, and in a soft voice, he says, "Your owner won't like it."

[I'll make him realize that he doesn't have to carry everything on his own, then. Good night, Mr. Jiroushin,] he bows, and leaves the old man shaking his head as he turns.

With the moonlight serving as the only light in the darkness of Goku's room, Sanzo hums, and ponders whether he should wake up Goku, or put him down and turn the lights on first. The human on his shoulder stirs, and the android decides to put him on the futon already laid out in the middle of the bed. Goku never puts it back in the closet, reasons that it's a hassle to take it out in the evening, only to put it back in the morning. Sanzo agrees.

And so he lays his human down on the futon, removes his shoes, places them on the doorway, and returns to Goku once more. He huffs as he rearranges the still sleeping young man on the futon, and when he's done, Sanzo sits right by Goku, staring at him, then at his charging station by the closet.

{Battery percentage: 39%.

Current time: 10:15PM.

Battery percentage if charged by the charging station for 10 hours: 100%.

Battery percentage if charged by sleeping for 10 hours: 98%.}

Sanzo blinks, and sighs as he tucks himself under the futon and turns over to Goku's side, instantly wrapping an arm around him, and the other one under his head. The human, in turn, buries his face in the crook of the android's neck, and mumbles a garbled thanks with a smile. Sanzo hums, and tucks his chin on Goku's head.

Before sleeping, however, Sanzo places his lips on his owner's brow, and mutters a quiet goodnight.

{Activating Sleep mode… Now charging… 39%.}

Unbeknownst to Sanzo, Goku takes a peek at his android, and lazily nuzzles his nose to Sanzo's chin. " _Good night, too, Sanzo._ "

.

Professor Hakkai delivers his lecture in his usual smile, while Goku taps away on the university's laptop, typing in late enrollees and doing grades, muttering the numbers as he does so.

When the lecture is done, and when the students have left the room, Goku packs the laptop and projector away while Professor Hakkai unplugs the devices from their sockets.

The professor talks of the night before, specifically, about the hour when he has seen Gojyo return home covered in bruises.

"…It was his fault," Goku reasons with a bashful smile, "but we made up!"

Hakkai laughs at the intern's carefree disposition, "Well, he did admit he was the one who started it. So I guess I believe him now—"

The classroom door opens, and Sanzo comes in carrying a bento box wrapped in purple cloth. [It's almost lunchtime, so I brought food,] he says, his voice deadpan as he closes the door behind him. Goku jumps over to the android in glee, hugging him tight around the torso.

"You're the best!" Goku lets out with a wide smile, jumping excitedly while looking at Sanzo.

[...It's just onigiri with tuna flakes. And lots of nikujaga,] the android says with a perturbed, yet amused look on his face. And Goku bites his lower lip, giggling.

"But you made it. That's all that matters!"

Sanzo stills, glances at a quietly laughing Hakkai, and back to a grinning Goku. The android sighs, and ruffles his owner's hair.

His purple eyes shift to a dark red for the briefest of moments before he huffs out, [Stupid owner.]

"Stupid android," said owner grumbles out with a pout, and Sanzo pulls on Goku's cheeks, his face passive as he does so. It has taken Hakkai a few seconds before recovering and pulling the android and owner apart with small fits of laughter.

They eat at the school yard—a change of scene, for once, as Hakkai has commented—and Goku takes it as a chance to tell Sanzo about his day in the university. Sanzo nods, and comments at some points, and at one point, he even snorts—the closest Sanzo can get to a laugh.

Goku stares in awe at his android's expression—his eyes narrowed with the slightest hints of crow's feet, his lips curled up, showing a bit of his teeth—

—and that voice. It always makes Goku feel like there's something tumbling in around his stomach—

—and so, in a moment's impulse, Goku latches onto the collar of Sanzo's white, button-down shirt, dragging him down to where their lips almost meet—

And Hakkai, who sits right in front of Goku, politely coughs, and the trance breaks.

Goku blinks with a start, and glances at Hakkai with a bashful smile.

And yet, his hold on the collar never loosens.

Goku does, however, nudges his forehead to Sanzo's chin, and the android, sensing his owner's need, complies by giving the young man a peck on the brow.

Hakkai looks away, and sips his tea with a smile.

When Gojyo comes running up to them, he immediately apologizes for being late. Hakkai stays silent, opting to drink his tea instead of gracing Gojyo with even a glance.

Things are still rocky between them since Hakkai found out that Gojyo's been visiting a bar for 15 times in the past five months alone, plus the fact that he has punched his intern's android and poured drinks on his intern. When the professor requests for Goku and Sanzo to leave, the brunet immediately gets the idea.

Hakkai finally gives Gojyo a narrowed, sidelong glance, and almost smiles at Gojyo's sudden show of submission, with his head bowed and his shoulders hunched.

Goku looks at Gojyo questioningly, and shrugs. He tells Sanzo of a new cookbook collection in the library with a light bounce in his step as he slings his bag on one shoulder, and the android huffs.

[You could just ask me to look something up if you need it,] Sanzo suggests, tapping the soles of his shoes on the grass as he looks at Goku with a raised eyebrow. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Gojyo looking at him. He ignores the human entirely and faces his back to Gojyo.

"Hm, yeah. But where's the fun in that? I want to touch the paper and smell it!" He pauses, and leans behind Sanzo and looks at Hakkai with a wave, "Ah, see ya, Hakkai! Good luck, pervert!"

Gojyo flips Goku off as they walk away. Gojyo silently notes the casual way Goku's hand slips to the android's, the latter keeping it in place with a firm but gentle grip.

The android gives Goku a small smile as the smaller man babbles away animatedly. If Gojyo squints enough, he can see the android's eyes looking focused, his attention solely trained on his oblivious owner. The android tells something to Goku that Gojyo can't hear, and the tiny shrimp outright _laughs_.

Gojyo's brows furrow, an unspoken question etches on his face.

Once the android and his owner are out of earshot, he turns to Hakkai once more, who seems to be turned into a statue upon standing. Hakkai gives him a quiet reprimand with a tap of his foot and crossed arms. Gojyo winces, his expression akin to that of embarrassment. "So, uh. We're cool again?"

Hakkai doesn't answer, and merely tilts his head back, frowning.

Gojyo gulps, and stares down at the grass. He plays with it with the sole of his shoe, and tries to muster up to say something. He comes up with none.

The shoes in front of him shifts, and a hopeful Gojyo looks up.

"Why do you keep on going to brothels, Gojyo?" The question comes as natural as Hakkai looks not at the man in question, but at the open space behind him.

The redhead looks away. Hakkai's clipped tone stops even Gojyo's slightest attempt at moving.

"I asked Sanzo about it, since he has a copy of your number and information. I chose not to ask you about it, since I'm waiting for the day you'll own your offenses. It seems you won't."

Gojyo pales.

Hakkai remains looking at an empty space and not at Gojyo. "It's interesting how committing a single, seemingly unimportant mistake to a deviant android owner leads to the deviant android himself marking your every move. And that was all, because what? You..." he gestures vaguely at the frozen man, "...offended Goku with something?"

"...spat root beer at him when I first saw the android."

"Ah, yes. Because you saw him with an android. How mature. And so you earned Sanzo's lifetime ire. Congratulations."

The ice in Hakkai's voice is enough to freeze what little blood in Gojyo's veins are probably left.

Gojyo chooses not to say anything, just blankly stare at Hakkai with dry gulps. Hakkai takes it as a cue to finally look at him in the eye. "Were you even planning on telling me? You _don't_ plan on telling me anything about that brothel, do you?"

Gojyo feels his heart thump loudly against his ribs, and he snaps his head to Hakkai upon hearing his words. "I do! I _do_ plan to tell you!"

Hakkai takes a small step back as he juts his chin to Gojyo, looks down at him with narrowed, green eyes despite Hakkai reaching only up to Gojyo's nose. "You only plan to tell me now because you repeatedly got caught without you knowing until now. Otherwise, you would've kept doing it, right?"

Gojyo wants to cry at that look on the man's face. Distrusting. Cold. Apathetic.

He initially swears to get back at that android, but—

—remembering the look on that android's face when he stares at Goku is like the face of someone who's completely smitten under all that cold exterior and—

Gojyo decides to wipe that cold look on that stupid android's face, for once.

Without Goku knowing it.

Yeah. That sounds better. It sounds good in his head.

"This is getting nowhere," Hakkai sighs out, creaking his neck as he passes by Gojyo without even so much as a glance. "You can come and go anytime in the house as you want. But you'll eat all the rotten food. It suits your attitude."

Gojyo jolts and turns to Hakkai, tries to reach out to that stiff arm that yanks free from Gojyo's grip. "Don't touch me with the hands that touched dirty women."

Hakkai walks away, his head held high, and huffs his way back to the campus with a heavy heart, leaving Gojyo stunned under a tree.

.

When Gojyo sees Sanzo go outside the store where Goku works at to take the sign stand inside PPC, he makes his move from where he stands, biding his time from the other side of the street, waiting for the sun to go down.

It's getting late. Seven o'clock. An unusual time for them to still be open, as PPC closes at 5:30. Never mind that, Gojyo thinks. _This_ is more important—

He rushes—and tackles Sanzo from behind in an attempt to shove him to the pavement in public, which fails the moment he sees the android's eyes go red from the window's reflection.

Passersby, both human and android, stand still, and most of them steer clear away from the unfolding, one-sided fight.

Gojyo manages to land a nasty punch on Sanzo's face, and grins as he manages to break through the synthetic flesh. "You fucking told him everything!" he exclaims, growling as Sanzo retaliates by closing his palm over Gojyo's fist with a deadly force.

[If you're talking about the professor, then yes, I told him everything whenever he asks me,] Sanzo says in a complete calm, despite the warning tabs popping up in his system telling him his blood is leaking from his cheek. He dismisses the tabs with a mild shake of his head, and squeezes the bones out of Gojyo's cracking knuckles.

Gojyo tries to punch the android again, and this time, with his other fist, which Sanzo also deflects with ease with another tight crush against the human's inferior bones.

[The professor has been crying lately, and you never even know, judging from that stupid look on your face now. He keeps asking me at school everyday where you went at certain intervals of the day. And does his best to keep himself from crying when he does his lectures. You never once thought of how he might feel, with how much perversion you have in your shit,] Sanzo says, the LEDs on his eyes keep spinning a bright red as he grips the fists tighter, and hums as Gojyo starts to crumble under his relentless force.

The shop doors slam open, and out comes a panicked Goku with little Nataku perched on his shoulder, looking like he's about to wail and scream as he tightens his hold on his beloved pen, the tiny LED eyes now turning bright red and ready to throw the pen straight to Gojyo's jugular. Behind them, Ukoku has his jaw clenched, and, with a huff, throws a bucket of ice cold water on Gojyo.

The tools on the workbench clatter on the floor as Koumyou almost trips his way outside upon hearing the commotion—hearing Ukoku openly laugh and taunt someone is never a good thing.

"—you never learn your lesson, do you? This is the second time you damaged an android. I'll have you sent to the police for this," Ukoku says with a raised voice, huffing as he gets another bucket of ice water from beside the door, ready to dump its cruel contents on Gojyo once more—

"Sanzo, get inside!" Koumyou orders, leaving no room for Sanzo to argue. Goku glares at Gojyo as he ushers Sanzo inside, clutching onto his arm and cradling his wounded cheek with the other.

Nataku, on the other hand, chooses to let his bubbling ire spring free, as he throws his fountain pen on Gojyo's forehead, tutting and stomping his tiny foot on Goku's shoulder as the blunt end of the pen hits him instead of the sharp end.

"Nataku, that's enough," Koumyou chastises, and Nataku reluctantly obeys, huffing as he jumps from Goku's shoulder, to Sanzo's.

With the androids and Goku inside, Ukoku and Koumyou face the spluttering mess that is Gojyo.

"Well?" Koumyou starts, tapping his foot as his eyes narrow on Gojyo's hapless stance. "Care to tell me why you're harassing my son again?"

.

Goku tries to level his head as he repairs the damaged flesh and the splintered wires on Sanzo's face, and tries not to be too observant by staring straight inside the android's endoskeleton.

It might unnerve Sanzo, and Goku doesn't like that.

Goku has removed the handsome face and the dented shells of Sanzo's left jaw and cheekbone, and lays them on the workbench, it being replaced with the broken plastic shell that resembles a cheekbone and jaw.

Goku feels a bead of sweat trickle down his back as he looks at the metal shells resembling bones, and coils upon coils of wire. He leans closer to where Sanzo sits stiffly in front of him.

"What components are damaged?"

Sanzo's LEDs turn blue, [Left optic wire damaged.]

"Fuck. Hold on." Goku fumbles with the splintered wires, coiling them all together, and he wraps a heat shrink around them, "Hold this to your jaw, don't move it." Sanzo holds the solder to his jaw as ordered, and Goku presses the soldering gun to life, inching it to the shrink enough for it to wrap snugly around the wires. "This might hurt," he says in between connecting the wires to the left eye and glancing at what's left of Sanzo's face. He holds his breath as the solder and soldering gun inch to the wires.

[Androids don't feel pain,] Sanzo calmly reminds his owner, but Goku's having none of it.

"Shut up and let me do my job," he grumbles, his focus trained on finishing the shrink to fit around the wires. And when it does, he exhales sharply, and glances to the flesh rubber on the table. "Can you see with your left eye now?" he asks, opting to wiggle his index finger in front of Sanzo's left eye, and the android twitches. Goku notes it's a hard image to erase from his mind—what his android looks like without his synthetic face.

[I can see now, thanks—...don't look at me like that. It's disturbing,] he mutters under his breath, and Goku can almost see minute creases where his brows would have been if he has a face, if the bending wires between his eyes are any indication.

"Disturbing? You should see what you look like without a face!"

They stare each other down for a few moments, before Sanzo backs down with a sigh. [I know what I look like without my mask. So don't look at me like that.] His words strike a chord to Goku, and the human frowns as he finishes up with fixing Sanzo's broken wires.

Goku works without any more complaints, and plugs a tube to the android's mouth, eyeing the white liquid now making its way down Sanzo's throat. "Don't speak for now. You got drained of some white blood, right?"

Sanzo tries to open his mouth, and, upon realizing the order, he closes his mouth and nods instead. Goku sighs.

He goes over to a closet beside the android and opens it, waving away the cold air from his face as he digs around for a drawer filled with spare parts.

Just then, Koumyou enters the shed, and asks, breathless, "Did you patch him up?"

Goku nods, not trusting himself to speak as he places a spare left cheekbone and jaw shell on the table. Behind him, Koumyou nods and fights back unshed tears and helps the young man with repairing Sanzo's face.

It takes them almost three hours to repair the damage on Sanzo's face, and once his flesh rubber and silicone mask was back on, Goku finally weeps and hugs the android.

Koumyou observes them with a tired little smile, and takes note on the minute pain on Sanzo's face as he hugs his owner back.

[I'm fine now,] the android says in undertone, idly rocking his human back and forth as he repeats the muffled words to Goku's ear.

It takes a while for the human to calm down, and when he does, the first thing Goku asks is, "Where's Professor Ukoku?"

At this, Koumyou smiles as he discards the damaged silicone mask in a drawer. "Ukoku is having a chat with Mr. Gojyo as we speak. At least, I think he's still speaking with him," he spares Sanzo a glance, and notes the dark red lights in his eyes. "Sanzo, did you do anything to provoke him?"

Sanzo snarls, bares his teeth at his creator, and buries his nose back to Goku's scalp, his voice now slightly muffled as he speaks. [I didn't do shit. I was just bringing the sign inside and he tackled me from behind. That fucker was mad about me telling Hakkai where his location was at all times because I saw his phone once and told him he was at a brothel in Machida. Guess he can't shrug off his habits of whoring around even if there's someone waiting for him every night.] His hold on Goku tightens, pulls him closer to his chest, and rocks his human once more.

"So it was out of anger," Koumyou muses out loud as he tilts his chair back, staring at the ceiling as he twirls a pen in his hand. From the doorway, Nataku hops in, and sees Koumyou twirling a fountain pen. His purple eyes almost shine brighter as he climbs his creator's leg, his tiny feet making squeaky sounds as he goes along.

[I've returned from the police outpost!] Nataku greets, his sights now set on the twirling pen. [Can I have that back?] he asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet expectantly.

"Hello, Nataku. Where's Ukoku?" Koumyou asks as he hands the pen over to the little android, craning his neck to where the door is, hoping to see Ukoku pop in any minute.

[He's still talking to the roachman,] he deadpans. [I have estimated that they will talk for a lengthy amount of time, so I asked Father to return here on my own, instead.] He fumbles with his clothes, and takes out a red flag from his sleeves, [I used this flag so no one might accidentally step on me while I walked and jumped from android to android! It took me about 15 minutes.] He smiles and sways, and, upon seeing Sanzo's condition, gasps.

Koumyou laughs as the little android shouts his warning to Sanzo, his little arm raised and holding his red flag.

[Warning! Warning! Five milliliters of white blood drained! Warning! War—] Nataku pauses in his alerts, his flag still raised. His eyes shift to amber and back to purple, blinking at Sanzo's current state of cleanliness and the lack of wounds on his face. The little android then grins and jumps in glee, waving his little red flag now turning to white. [Congratulations! Congratulations! White blood supply has been replenished!]

Goku can't help but snort out his laughter as Nataku cheers for Sanzo's health. "Thanks, Nataku," he says through his tears of now-mirth. Sanzo, meanwhile, looks away, a small pout gracing his features.

[Thanks, I guess.]

Nataku turns to Goku, with the same wide smile still plastered on his face, [Ah. Goku, I lost one milliliter of white blood. Please replenish me.]

Goku wipes his snot on his hoodie, his earlier worries now drained from his tears. "Eh? Why?"

Nataku raises his hand excitedly, and laughs out and looks at Goku with bright red eyes, [I bit the roachman's nose and cheek and attempted to chew it despite my programming telling me I cannot eat human meat. I lost some white blood in the process. Please supply me with white blood using the dropper.]

Goku gapes. Koumyou giggles. And Sanzo shoves a pinky in his ear in disinterest.

With bated breath, Goku almost wails.

"Nataku has gone completely deviant!"

.

"I'm sorry!"

Goku takes a step back as Gojyo kowtows before him.

It is on a windy Monday morning when the man does this, and right before he enters the university, too.

People and androids alike peer over what the ruckus is about as they enter the school, whispering to themselves on why a tall man bows low in front of a man clearly smaller than him. Beside Goku, Sanzo stares at Gojyo with indifference, his face blank as the blithering man sputters nonsensical words of apology.

Goku _hates_ the unwanted attention.

"Gojyo, stand the fuck up, you shit!" he hisses, avoiding the curious stares of some of the professors passing by. He tries covering up his grimace with a smile, but fails. His teeth too visible. His lips too curled upwards. He wants to melt into the pavement.

And yet Gojyo is oblivious to Goku's discomfort, opting to yell out his apologies to him and to Sanzo once more. "I won't do it again!" he shouts as he glances up at the pair. In a split second, anyone can see the traces of scratches left by Nataku on his face. Anyone can see the ugly bruise on his right temple, a gift from Ukoku and his fist.

Goku almost feels sorry—

He glances at Sanzo, who only hums and idly blinks.

— _almost_ feels sorry.

"Does Hakkai know?" he asks, hiding the amusement from his voice. He wants to laugh, he really does, but fights it back in order to look in control. Gojyo nods fervently, still looking down with his eyes closed. At least he's kneeling now. "And? What did he say?"

Gojyo cracks his eyes open, dares to look at Goku, and stares at his sneakers instead. "Says he'll give me another month outside the apartment. He talked to the owner about it, and the owner said it's okay..." He leaves his sentence hanging, and his shoulders hunch as his fists clench. "I deserve it, I guess."

[Feh. _Wimp_.]Sanzo speaks for the first time since Gojyo has caused a scene, and Gojyo glares at the android, only for the android to give him a harsh glare of his own. Goku looks to the heavens, and mutters to be eaten by the earth.

"Is he giving you a hard time again?"

Goku snaps out of his daydream with a dumbfounded, "Wha—?" only to realize the person trying to talk to him is Hakkai. "Oh, hi, Hakkai!" he starts, unsure of what to say. Sanzo, ever the observant android, fills in with a bored look on his face.

[Yeah. We can't get inside because he's blocking the fucking gate. Make him stop.]

Sanzo's way of requesting humans is quite interesting to anyone who may overhear him, to say the least.

Hakkai, however, seems unfazed, as he smiles to Sanzo and bows slightly, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience he has caused you. But worry not, I'll make sure he won't cheat again."

.

The rest of the day goes by with no hassle, save for the earlier incident with Gojyo.

Goku eyes the students behind him as he writes his lecture on the whiteboard. On the desk, Sanzo types the syllabus for the next semester on Goku's laptop.

The students write the lecture in silence, broken only by the noise of clattering pens and scraping chairs against the floor. Their androids, on the other hand, sit beside them on standby, all their eyes whirring to bright blue LEDs.

At the back of the classroom, Hakkai sits on one of the desks, typing down grades on his tablet with a small smile.

At one point of the class, Gojyo almost— _almost_ —bangs the door and crash his way into the classroom, only for Hakkai to reprimand him with a glare from the back of the room.

Goku hums as he finishes his lecture, and smiles his way as he does his lesson. He commends the cooperative students, and smiles coldly at the inattentive ones. Towards the end of the lesson when the students are supposed to pass a decent output, Sanzo steps up and roams around the classroom as Goku now sits beside Hakkai at the back, idly chatting the rest of the time away.

[Don't talk to your classmates when you're doing your activity.]

The students gulp and face the board, hunching as he jots down his answers on his paper.

Goku raises his brow at the aforementioned student, and whispers something to Hakkai.

Once everyone has passed their seat works to Sanzo, and the students and their androids have left the room, Hakkai pats Goku on the back.

"You'll be fine next semester. You'll be able to handle your own classes, seeing as Sanzo will be there to help you," the professor teases, nudging Goku by the ribs, and Goku grins.

"Yeah but it means I'll have to work on the double. Doing grades while having lessons is hard, you know."

[That's why I'm here, stupid,] Sanzo huffs as he shoves the papers in the laptop's case. He turns around and regards his owner with a roll of his eyes, [I can compute the shitheads' grades while you do your shit.]

Goku hums, thinking, and then—"Oh right, you can do that."

[Feh. Idiot.]

Goku sticks out his tongue as they make their way outside the room, with Hakkai not even hiding his laughter anymore.

"You're getting along with Sanzo as usual, I see," Hakkai comments, and notes Goku's silence. He knows the unspoken question, and sighs, "We'll be fine, Goku. Just—give us some time. I'll give myself some time. And—"

He feels a twinge of pain as his eyes fall on the human and the android's clasped hands.

"—thank you, Sanzo. For everything."

Sanzo gives him a sidelong glance and nods—a mutual camaraderie in silence.

.

It isn't until three days later when PPC welcomes another customer, a familiar one, and little Nataku is all too happy to see said customer.

[Welcome to PPC, Mr. Homura! How's Natsuku?] he says, already bouncing his way from his shelf to Homura's feet. The man smiles at the little android climbing his slacks, and the man greets him.

"I'm actually here today because of Natsuku," he says, beaming. He looks around, and sees the blond android from before, wiping the glass shelves with a passive face. "Is the storeowner here?"

At this, Sanzo peers at Homura from where he now squats, trying to reach the corner of a shelf. He looks at the adjacent room and hollers, [That previous customer is here!]

Ukoku yawns as he exits the room, and gives Homura a limp salute. "What can I do for you, Mr. Customer?"

Homura forces his smile to Ukoku, who looks as if he has just woken up from a nap. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me with my android. This guy," he gestures to his side, grumbles an apology, and holds his index up. "Wait—" he exits the shop, and huffs as he drags a familiar man by the arm and points at his face. " _This_... man, grabbed my android and he—Natsuku—almost short circuited and I don't know why!"

Ukoku drifts his lazy gaze to the man that the customer has in his hold. And, with a resigned sigh and a roll of his eyes, Ukoku scoffs.

"You'll never learn your lesson, do you, Mr. Gojyo?"

.

 **A/N** : It's always Gojyo. Sorry not sorry.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Human in Me**

.

 **Summary** : _Despite being openly friendly, Son Goku has a hard time finding love—until he meets someone at his local merch shop. There, standing perfectly still yet blinking at anyone who passes by, was the person of his dreams. He knows it's not human, but—there's something about that cold stare and the telling, whirring purple LED eyes that reel him in_.

.

Once Ukoku has explained to Mr. Homura that his little android had shut down and refused to boot up due to Natsuku being touched by a person that isn't his owner—namely, by one meddling Gojyo—Goku has turned livid since.

Goku and Gojyo may have been friends for a long time, but there are limits as to how deep their friendship should be.

Right now is not as deep.

Goku stands in the middle of his workplace, yelling at Gojyo for hurting Natsuku. Gojyo yells at Goku for caring for a mere machine.

Sanzo stands not quite far from his owner, his eyes blinking between a bright blue and red. He twitches in his silence as he stands stock still, his fingers itching and his mouth twitching, trying hard not to lash at the redhead currently yelling at his owner.

He had been ordered not to interfere.

Goku had advised Homura to whisper his android's password to Natsuku's ear, instead of repeatedly pressing the diamond on the android's forehead.

The customer had been doubtful, but when he did, only then did the android boot up.

It had gone downhill from there.

Once the creases have been ironed between Mr. Homura and Gojyo, Goku's bottled ire slowly poured in the open, as he went on a long tirade about the safety and proper handling of androids.

At one point, Koumyou decides to step in, and pull Goku away from Gojyo.

"You don't get to say shit about them having no feelings! You're the one who has no feelings for neglecting Hakkai again and again! Androids are much better because—because they never leave your side even if sometimes they're hurting!" Goku wails, remembers his first meeting with Sanzo, remembers how he, a then complete stranger, had risked his life for a human who wasn't even his owner yet, and thinks—

 _I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for Sanzo_.

He clenches his teeth and grits out, "You don't know..."

—he recalls how, even on the brink of his shutdown state, Sanzo had muttered words for Goku's safety, even thought he hadn't known anything about the human at that time—

—and since then, Goku has grown to treat androids with a deeper respect and love compared to his fellow humans—

—and Gojyo has yet to realize that.

Gojyo falls silent, and sees Goku now shedding tears—

—Sanzo springs into action, his eyes glowing a bright red as he takes three long strides and gently pries Goku from Koumyou's grip in silence, covering his owner's eyes.

[Get out.]

Gojyo jolts at the voice, and from the continuous swirl of red LED eyes, he's sure that the android will use force if necessary.

[Get. The fuck. Out.]

Gojyo's legs twitch at the words, eyes the storeowners and the customer and his little android now clutching onto Homura's neck.

He looks at his friend once more, unable to fully see his crying face covered by the android.

He tries gulping his unease away, only for it to return with a tenfold of waves of nausea crawling at his throat.

He tries saying something, but no voice comes out.

And so the readhead turns around and runs away from the shop, leaving its current occupants finally letting out their withheld breaths.

"Ugh, I thought he'd never leave," Ukoku laments, craning his neck to the ceiling. Koumyou mirrors his partner's sentiment, albeit says nothing as he glances at Goku every now and then—

Homura tries to break the ice with a forced laugh, only to feel it unfit for the atmosphere. He clears his throat and smoothens his fingers down Natsuku's tiny form. "Thank you for fixing my android," he finally breathes out, exhaustion evident on his voice. "And I apologize. I shouldn't have dragged him in here... I—didn't know that he..." he gestures to the still crying Goku in Sanzo's arms, and winces. "I didn't know that they know each other."

Koumyou gives Homura a tightlipped smile, "Oh, no, it's fine. I have to admit, even if he caused some... _damages_ ," he glances to where Goku now wipes his tears on Sanzo's clothes, the latter doesn't seem to be bothered by it. "I'm glad this exchange happened. If it hadn't, that man might still be living with hatred for androids. I doubt he still hates them now. I think he'll finally learn tolerance."

Sanzo remains silent, his eyes now turning blue, his hand still smoothing down and sometimes kneading the tufts of Goku's unkempt, brown hair.

Homura smiles all the same, yet keeps glancing at Goku. "Will he be all right?" he asks Sanzo, whose blue eyes shift to violet upon looking at him.

[This is the first time I've seen him cry, so I can't say.] Sanzo looks down at the mop of brown hair, and holds his owner tighter. [Say the word and I'll maim him for you—]

"You can't do that!" Goku suddenly pipes up, the tears still staining his cheeks as he clutches onto Sanzo't clothes. "You'll be tried for assaulting a human!"

The hand that slides down his hair stops, and the LEDs slowly turn blue.

"Please promise me you won't do it. _Please_."

The urgency in his owner's voice sends signals down his wires, and Sanzo closes his eyes. [Okay, I won't do it.]

Goku almost smiles.

[But.]

Goku stills.

[If he dares try to make you cry again, I can't promise you I won't hurt him.]

The human gulps, but nods nonetheless. "In that case, I'll make sure not to cry," he declares, and Sanzo almost laughs.

[Sure. Keep telling yourself that.]

Goku pouts, and slams his fist on the android's torso halfheartedly. "Idiot."

Koumyou sighs, smiles at Goku, and turns to Homura, who has been looking at the human-android pair with curiosity.

Taking in a deep breath, he bows to the customer, "I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience my employee has caused."

Goku stops his banter with Sanzo, and yelps, pushing himself away from his android and bows low to Homura in quick succession, apologizing profusely. It's something that Homura dismisses with a wave and a laugh.

"There was no harm done. Plus, it was my fault, because I dragged him here in the first place. If I hadn't, then all of this would've been prevented—"

"But I let my emotions take control of me, sir!"

"It's okay, it's okay," Homura says with a smile. "It's rare to see genuine affection being shown to androids these days. It's... refreshing."

It takes Goku a few moments for the words to sink in, and when they do, he smiles wide. "Everyone worthy of loving anyone should be loved as well, regardless of their race."

Homura blinks, and returns Goku's wide smile. "That's true."

Sanzo hums, and quietly scans the customer's microexpressions. His mouth parts, and decides to step beside Goku in a long stride. He bows to Homura, [Thank you for continuing to trust PPC, dear customer.]

Mr. Homura's gold and blue eyes drift to Sanzo, and he gives him a tightlipped smile. "Seeing how much your owner likes you is enough reason for me to trust this store and the people who make it. Thank you."

Sanzo's frown deepens as he's offered a handshake, but takes the human's hand in his, anyway. The android's handshake is firm, and when the human locks eyes with Goku, his handshake only tightens, and smiles when he sees a slight twitch from the customer's face.

[Thank you for your patronage,] he says, looking down on the human as he juts his chin. He sees the customer return his gaze to his bright red eyes, and attempts to break free from the handshake. Sanzo tightens. The human freezes.

And finally realizes.

Mr. Homura slackens his hold, not breaking eye contact from the android. Only when Homura looks down at their tightly clasped hands does Sanzo release the customer's hand.

And the red-eyed Sanzo gives him a small smile, one that sends warnings down Homura's spine.

"Sanzo?"

The android blinks, and his eyes return to their normal, purple light. [Yes?] he whispers, breaking eye contact with the customer, and gives his owner a sidelong glance.

"Is something wrong?" Large, golden eyes blink up at him, and Sanzo almost lowers his gaze.

[Nothing. Just saying my thanks.]

Goku grins at his android, and waves the customer goodbye. "Hope to see you again!"

Homura's smile falters a tad, and nods. "I'm sure I'll return again. Good day," he breathes out, and leaves with a friendly wave. On his shoulder, Natsuku sits on standby, humming and swaying along to nothing in particular. Little Nataku waves, and only then does Natsuku smiles and waves with enthusiasm.

They leave the store, and all eyes fall on Goku, who's now returned to wiping his snot on his shirt.

[You okay?] Sanzo asks, his eyes turning blue for a moment. Goku nods, and takes Sanzo's hand in his.

"If—" he stops, sniffling, and tries again. "If anyone tries to grab you to the point they'll make you shut down and take you away from me, I'll—" His teeth clench, and hugs the android's waist. "I'll break their knees so hard, I'll make sure they'll be in a permanent coma for 500 years."

Sanzo snorts at his owner's outburst, and pats his head as Koumyou and Ukoku also stifle their laughter, [Stupid owner. Humans don't live that long nowadays.]

Goku shakes his head, "Don't care. I'll fucking do it."

Koumyou's smile falls, and tuts. "Sanzo, look what you did," he chides in a gentle voice. "Your crude vocabulary is rubbing off on Goku!"

[Meh. I improved his vocabulary. Only words he knows are 'food' and 'hungry,'] Sanzo deadpans, even when Goku kicks him in the shin.

Ukoku laughs, and shakes his head. He had deemed PPC as a boring place a few months ago, but with the recent events involving his special deviant android creation and his owner, his workplace now seems—

"—...fun."

"Hm? Did you say something?" Koumyou turns to Ukoku, his smile ever present as he speaks, and, in return, Ukoku's dark brown eyes soften. A rare sight for Koumyou.

"Nothing," Ukoku breathes, but the small tug on his lips says otherwise.

Komyou leans his temple to Ukoku's, and says nothing and everything with a smile.

Ukoku stays silent, and looks at their creations and at Goku with quiet contentment.

.

Goku looks at the people at the park with a tiny smile as he slurps on his slushee. There are humans everywhere. And androids, too. Human pairs are getting rarer nowadays since the deviant class boomed, but they look happy, and don't seem to be envious of the booming human and android pairs by the looks of it. The human pairs walk hand in hand, arm in arm, some with their fingers intertwining. Goku likes seeing people like that. It makes him believe in love.

He looks at his hand, notes the bones jutting from his knuckles, notes the faint traces of veins under his tanned skin. He opens and clenches his hand as he slurps on his slushee some more. And looks at the people again.

His eyes fall on another pair—a female human and a male android. He hums, and looks at their linked fingers as they walk.

He notes the smoothness of the male android's skin against the warmth and softness of the female human's, and his mouth parts from the straw. He places his drink on his lap, ignores the ring of coldness seeping from the bottom of the plastic cup, and zones out.

The chilly autumn air does nothing to the heat permeating throughout Goku's body. His thick, woolen coat only amplifies it.

He wonders if Sanzo had been human, would he have even met him at all? He concludes that, no, they probably wouldn't have—judging from Sanzo's attitude.

But it was because of his programming, wasn't it? If it hadn't, what kind of personality would Sanzo actually have? Would he be kind, stoic? What about food? Would he like them salty? Sweet? Sour? A mixture of all flavors?

A part of him aches. It's something that he had never discussed to Sanzo, it feels too personal, and he feels guilty, ashamed—ashamed of what, he cannot comprehend. But a part of him tells him that he's like betraying Sanzo for not talking his feelings out with him. If Sanzo's involved, then he should know. That has always been Goku's rule. And he always follows that rule. Until now.

Two warm arms snake around Goku's frame, their fingers taking purchase on his belly. Golden eyes slide close and he smiles.

[What are you spacing out about?] comes the sultry voice to Goku's ear, and Goku attempts to shy away, giggling, only for that deep voice to follow him again. [Are you feeling lonely?] Sanzo asks, peering at Goku's hands. [You've been looking at your hands and at the people.]

Goku says nothing, but only looks at his hands—guilty.

He tries and fails to fight back a smile blooming at his lips as the android's warm fingers wrap around his, locking their hands in a way that Goku likes. The android kisses one knuckle, his lips also warm against the cool air, and nudges his face to Sanzo's.

[I assume you feel a bit better now?] The grin in his voice is evident, and Goku rubs his nose to Sanzo's cheek, smiling, but feeling heavy all the same.

"Much better," he whispers. And just like that, his quiet insecurities shy away to the recesses of his mind, waiting for another chance to play.

And that chance to play comes in a few weeks, when Goku buys a ream of paper from a supply shop, and meets a familiar face as he exits an aisle.

"Mr. Homura," the brunet mutters, and, remembering proper greetings, he switches to his greet-a-customer smile, that is, as wide as he can. "Good day!" he squeaks, hoping the man doesn't notice his voice sounds a bit more forced than necessary.

The man seems taken aback, but recovers. "Hello, um, Goku, was it?" He smiles, and reaches his hand out. Goku shakes it, and—

"You deal with foreigners, I assume? Since you shake hands instead of bowing. You did that with Sanzo, too." The remark comes off quick, observant, but Homura shrugs it off with a smile.

"Yes, I do. I—Sanzo? ...oh. Your android."

Goku grins, nodding with enthusiasm, "He's not with me right now. He's at home encoding grades. And I ran out of paper." His explanation seems normal enough, Homura muses, but—

"Why not order your android instead so you won't have to go outside?" he asks. He doesn't mean any offense, he really doesn't, but—

"I like going outside. It's fun. Sanzo likes doing grades. Probably likes seeing the disobedient students suffer. So I let him. He's nice like that." Goku beams when he says this, like he's the proudest android owner ever.

"That's uh, good. That's good," Homura nods, at a loss of words. He looks away, and his eyes land on stacks of paper wrapped in plastic sheets. "He's a kind android, then?"

"Hm? Yeah," Goku says, momentarily distracted by his phone. When Homura looks back at him, Goku's now smiling at his phone. "Sorry, it's—" He shrugs, points at his phone and says, "Sanzo, he needs me. Says there's a discrepancy in the names. I—I gotta go—" He turns, ready to bolt to the register to complete his purchase, and—

"Is it really that important?" Homura asks this as he grabs Goku's wrist.

Goku stills, his eyes go wide, and feels his heart stop.

The first thing he notices is the warmth. So different from his android's warmth. This warmth is softer, more welcoming, more _alive_ —

"Do you really have to go?" Homura tries again, and this time, Goku notices those fingers, larger and tougher than his, wrap a bit tighter around his wrist.

He feels like breathing, only this time, it comes in shallow huffs.

The fingers fully enclose around his wrist, and tugs—lightly, because Homura doesn't seem to want to hurt him—and Goku realises that he hasn't said anything since the sudden grabbing of his wrist.

Goku hopes Homura hasn't seen his lower lip quiver at the touch.

"He needs me," Goku says with finality in his voice—a quiet reassurance that comes out as a weak attempt of reason, and Homura wants to curl his fingers tighter around that slim wrist, but—

Goku pulls away—scorched from the warm touch he so craves—and clutches it to his chest.

The ream of paper almost falls from his grasp, but grips it as he takes a step back. "I must go," he says, a bit louder this time. He closes his mouth from saying anything else he might regret in the future, things that present him is fighting not to say, things like— _please take me now_ , or, _I want all your warmth in me_.

Homura makes another move of holding Goku, but the smaller man already backs away and sprints to the counter, paying the android with cash and not even bothering to get his change even when the android calls him back.

Goku buries his face in the team he holds to his chest, and avoids everyone as he runs down the street.

Homura is left stunned in the middle of the aisles, and ignores the stares he receives from both androids and humans. He hisses his apologies as he hunches his shoulders, and exits the store, forgetting what he had come for.

.

Goku returns home panting, sweating, and all around dazed and scared of something.

The alarms go off in Sanzo's system, and, fearing the worst, he almost kicks the throw pillow he has been sitting on as he strides to Goku in worry. His eyes have turned red, Goku notices, and he can't blame the android. The brunet felt like a mess himself.

[Who hurt you?] is Sanzo's first question, clutching him to his chest immediately, checking if there are any visible bruises and wounds by touching him alone. There are none.

Goku explains, that there was no one who hurt him. But—

[ _Who?_ ] Sanzo asks again as he looks down at him with bright red eyes.

"I bumped into that customer earlier. Mr. Homura," Goku whispers, breathless.

Sanzo hums, his eyes narrow, and his shoulders now seem to appear stiffer. Goku knows what he's thinking.

[ _Homura_ ,] he says, an unspoken contempt dripping behind his usual gruff voice. [What did he say to make you scared?]

Goku notes Sanzo's eyes shifting between blue and red, and feels guilty for letting his earlier thoughts plague his mind.

"He just wanted to talk... I think." The brunet looks away from those prying eyes, and clutches onto Sanzo's clothes. His awkward pauses don't seem to help, and he fears Sanzo might have an idea what he had been thinking earlier in the supply store.

Sanzo tilts his head, an indication that he's analyzing his owner. Somehow, he doesn't mind being under Sanzo's scrutiny. He can open himself up to Sanzo in any way, if his android so desires.

[What kind of talk did he want?] Sanzo asks as he idly toys with the unkempt tufts of hair from the back of Goku's head. His fingers curl and uncurl around the hickory locks, running his nails lightly on his scalp.

The gesture soothes Goku down, Sanzo notices, so he keeps doing that.

"Says he didn't want me to go, so he—" Goku gulps, and buries his head on the android's chest, muffling his voice completely. "He touched my wrist."

Goku hears an audible click that seems to have stemmed somewhere from within Sanzo's body. He looks up, and sees bright red eyes staring straight ahead.

He feels his heart grow cold. "He didn't do anything other than that, I swear—"

[He touched you,] Sanzo mutters, [anything else I should know?]

Goku searches for anything behind those cold, blue eyes and that distrusting frown—

—he remembers the thoughts he had when he had been touched by another human. He remembers the warmth, the firmness, the feel of actual human hands touching him—

Goku's lips part, and gulps. "Nothing. Nothing more. It was just that, he didn't hurt me or anything."

Sanzo hums, and leaves it at that.

The days go by as the incident was left alone, letting it simmer at the lowest point, until it waits for the chance to boil over and spill everything in the open.

It starts small, with Homura frequenting the shop to look for Goku to repair Natsuku with any miniscule and unnecessarily 'glitch'. Ukoku would have left the issue alone, as he knows exactly what he has been trying to do.

But using his creation to create and lie about having android glitches as an excuse to see his employee is starting to annoy the android creator.

"Good afternoon! Is Goku here?" Homura asks in his usual tone of forced cheer. Sanzo huffs as he shoves a mobile android in its tiny box. Koumyou is not at the shop, choosing today of all days to run an errand.

Ukoku, however, hisses cigarette smoke as he glares at the customer through his fogged up glasses. His foot resting on his small desk shifts, his shoes almost wagging at Homura in an indecent manner. He makes a sound, a cross between a groan and a huff, and Homura hesitates to take a step forward as he sees a grimace paint Ukoku's face.

"What do you think?" he asks as he gestures to the shop vaguely. "Does it look like he's here?"

Homura looks around, and feels an itch creeping at his back as some of the shop's androids turn to glance at him from the corner of their LED eyes. From one corner, he sees Goku's android shoves a ledger to a shelf quite roughly. "Um, no?" he balks, his voice small and unsure.

He faintly hears Goku's android snort.

"Then he's not here," he says with a shrug, not even bothering to hide his annoyance as his brows lift in a condescending manner, his forehead creasing as he smirks. "Come back in another day when you don't run out of excuses."

Homura hears Goku's android clear his throat as he shoves another ledger in the glass shelf.

The door to the workshop opens, and Sanzo strides in and gets in the way of the door before whoever-the-person-is comes out of the workshop. He enters the room and doesn't come out.

Homura swallows a bile in his throat, raises his hand in apology, and leaves.

Sanzo never tells Goku who comes in at the shop since then. So does Ukoku. The creator and creation have both made an unspoken pact that they won't disturb naïve Goku—it's more for Sanzo's sanity's sake, actually, as Ukoku has come to realize. So when the android goes out to do a task, Ukoku—or Nataku—keeps Goku company.

It isn't long when the android has come face to face with his human rival once more.

It has been a hot summer day when Homura decides to drop by in the school that Goku has been in internship for. Sanzo knows, because he has seen the man enter the school gates during lunch time, when Sanzo arrives to deliver his food to his owner.

The android's brow raises as Homura greets a professor passing by. Figures. The human knows the professor. Probably a colleague of sorts. The android huffs, and turns away when—

"Ah, just who I was looking for—Sanzo!"

—[ _Fuck_.]

The android turns around, his frown deepening as his brows raise in a vague greeting. [Hello,] the android deadpans, ignoring the bright smile that Homura graces on everyone including him. [What brings you here?] Direct to the point, just as how it must be—

"Do you know of a certain Prof. Hakkai? We used to be schoolmates and now is the only time I have to meet him since I'm near the area."

Sanzo observes the minute details of Homura's expressions—the wide and overly-friendly smile, the open stance, the bright disposition—

The android's eyes turn blue for a split second, before returning back to violet. [As you are not my owner, I have no obligation to answer your question.]

A crestfallen 'oh' falls from Homura's lips, and Sanzo notices the human forcing a smile, "Is… that so? Apologies, I forgot—haha!" He clears his throat, "Natsuku."

The tiny android pops up from the breastpocket of his coat with a wide smile, raising its arm, [Yes?]

Sanzo huffs, and watches the quick exchange between the owner and the small android in silence. He crosses his arms, and looks away, [If that is all, then I'll be going now—]

"Saanzoo!"

The aforementioned android stiffens, and snaps around to see his owner running up to him in glee. The android mutters a curse, and immediately strides over to his human before Goku can even exit the building. [Why didn't you wait for me inside? I know I was a minute and 29 seconds late and you're stupidly hungry all the time but wait for me there—]

"Geh, but I'm hungry," Goku whines, wrapping his arms around the android immediately and looks up at him in earnest. "A minute is too long for my stomach!"

Sanzo sighs, pats the brown locks, and glances back to where Homura still talks with Natsuku. The android harrumphs, and grabs Goku by the shoulder, [The cafeteria should suffice in this heat. We can't go outside. My temperature's going to accelerate in minutes.] He sees his human pout, and the android blinks, taking a picture of his owner immediately and saves it. [Keep doing that and you're not going to have your lunch on time.]

Goku blinks, "Huh? What do you mean?"

[Nothing. Let's go.]

He gives Homura and Natsuku one last glance before they turn to a corner, only to see Hakkai coming up to the black-haired man and greet him jovially.

Sanzo looks at a happy yet oblivious Goku too busy taking a pork bun in his mouth to notice anyone around him, and the android's eyes glow dark red for a split second.

.

Sanzo sits in front of Goku who still chows down plate after plate of food. After eating the food that the android had made for him, he decided to wolf down on the snacks that the cafeteria sells. Unbeknownst to the human, Sanzo quietly takes a video of his owner eating everything in one go. Unblinking, his eyes turn blue, his fingers tapping under the table, and when Goku's done, he washes it all down with a swish of the green tea that Sanzo made for him. The android blinks, and saves the video.

"Sanzo, where should we go this weekend? Ah, how about the beach?" Goku quips excitedly, beaming at the blond. "Search for the nearest beaches with lots of food!"

The lights on Sanzo's eyes turn blue, and Goku sees that faraway look again, [Searching… There's one nearby, three kilometers from here—]

"Goku!"

Hearing the sound of Hakkai's voice calling out to his owner makes Sanzo stop his searching, as his eyes turn a shade of violet when he turns to the professor. Well—

—to the person standing beside the professor.

Sanzo tuts, his sensors going into overdrive as he feels his temperature and stress levels rise. It also doesn't help when Goku acknowledges Prof. Hakkai with a cheerful grin and practically bounces off his seat when he sees Homura standing beside the professor.

{Owner's current temperature: 37.2℃.}

"Ah, h-hi, Mr. Homura…" Goku suddenly looks bashful and looks away when Homura smiles at him.

Sanzo's eyes narrow, his eyes shifting to a dark blue. {Owner's current temperature: 37.3℃.} He feels his own core temperature rising as his owner's temperature also rises. Homura waves to Sanzo and the android returns it with a glare. The human's hand hovers on Goku's shoulder, touching it—

Homura steps back and winces as he pulls his hand back, "Wha—" He pauses mid-complaint, when he comes face to face with the red-eyed android who has apparently stepped over the table in one quick stride, shielding Goku from the man.

[Do you even realize what you're doing?]

Goku blinks, aghast at his android's sudden outburst—and fails to even complain at the leftover food that Sanzo has stepped on when he notices that Sanzo is glaring at Mr. Homura with bright red eyes.

The tanned male gulps, and tries to coax Sanzo out of Homura's way, telling him he's fine and unhurt, but to no avail as the android stares Homura down.

Beside Homura, Hakkai looks at the situation with a smile, and doesn't even attempt to interfere. "Ah, this scene feels familiar," he muses out loud, laughing to himself as he senses the android growing angrier the longer he glares at Homura.

.


End file.
